All That Glitters Is Silver
by realtalkproject
Summary: Cassidy Argent has never lived in the same place for more than a year. This time, her father moves them to Beacon Hills, California. Before too long, Cassie has to make a choice between following in the family footsteps and another oustider, Derek Hale.
1. Introduction

_"We're moving."_

Just what every girl wants to hear two months into the school year.

We'd moved around a lot when I was younger, but I'd been living in Seattle for the past seven months and getting this far into my sophomore year, I'd foolishly thought this would finally be my home until I went off for college.

I was wrong.

My parents called me home while I was at the archery range after school. I was blowing off some steam after a big math test when my phone lit up with my dad's ringtone. He said it was urgent so I hurriedly packed my stuff up and drove home. I parked in the driveway and jogged through the usual raining weather to reach my house. I burst through the door, wiped my feet and called out to my parents, making my presence known.

"Cassidy. In the living room." He didn't use any of my nicknames. This was serious.

I walked cautiously into the room, set my stuff down gently, and looked at the scene before me. They had that face on. That face they always had when they had bad news. I knew immediately what they were going to tell me, but silently prayed I was wrong.

"Cassidy," My mother smiled encouragingly, beckoning me, "Why don't you sit down." It wasn't a request.

I took a seat in the soft, leathery recliner and waited. My parents were sitting close and holding hands. They had that determined look on their faces like something needed to be done. Something serious (other than giving me the news I hated hearing the most).

"I got a call from your Uncle Chris today," My father started. My Uncle Chris and my father were twins. They both had electrifyingly blue eyes that knew immediately when you had done something wrong or lied. They had salt-and-pepper colored hair, were exactly the same height, and always held the same stern look that sometimes, even got _me_ confused on who I was _really_ looking at.

But I hadn't seen my Uncle Chris, Aunt Victoria, and Allison for a few years now so this piqued my interest.

"He needs some help with his business down in Beacon Hills," He went on, "There's been developments and new additions that he needs my expertise on and we," He pointed to himself and my mother. "Thought that it would be good for all of us if we lived near some family so—"

"So, we're moving again?" I couldn't help sounding dejected.

"Yes, sweetheart," My mother nodded, smiling motherly at me, "It'll be a good change for you to be with Allison again. You guys used to be so close."

"It's for the best, Cassie." My father smiled too, wrapping his arm around his wife. Sometimes I got the feeling that they weren't always be truthful when they told me the reason we had to move. I wondered whether they were con-men or bank robbers, but that was preposterous.

Agreeing with them was the only way to keep the peace. What other choice did I have other than fighting with them about it? But I didn't fight with my parents or anyone else for that matter. If there was one thing in this world I hated more than Algebra, it was conflict.

"Yeah dad, you're right. It would be nice to be near family again." I smiled meekly, lifting myself off the chair.

"Pack for a couple weeks. We'll hire someone to get the rest of it when we leave." My father told me.

"When are we leaving, exactly?" I asked quietly.

"Tomorrow morning." My mother answered.

"Have I already been transferred to a school there?"

"We'll work out the details tonight. Don't you worry your pretty head about it." My father tapped my nose softly and pulled me into a hug.

When he released me, they dismissed me to pack what I couldn't live two weeks without. I obliged without another word and fell right back into that familiar routine that I'd hoped I'd never have to go through again.


	2. Argent Family Reunion

I woke up hours before my parents came to get me up. Whenever I was agitated, I developed insomnia until I got a handle of the situation. This mostly happened when I found out we were moving again.

I sat in bed listening to the rain I had come to love while I stared out at the dark sky. As the hours ticked by, the moon slowly disappeared with the sun taking its place. The vibrant purples and oranges crept across the sunrise as the rain ceased for an hour or two. Seattle really was a beautiful place. Even with the constant rain, I'd come to finally call this place home and that's what hurt most about packing up and leaving again.

"Cassie, sweetie, it's time to get a move on," My mother said softly after she opened my door. The yellow light from the hall was streaming through the crack. I glanced at my phone. It was six.

"Okay," I replied and sat up in my zombie-like. I threw on the clothes I'd picked out the night before, grabbed my suitcase, and said good-bye to my room. I trudged down the stairs, smelling sizzling bacon and eggs. They only made me breakfast when they knew I was upset.

"I'll put that in the car," My dad offered, grabbing my suitcase and another bag as he walked out the door.

My mother kissed my cheek, "We're leaving in ten minutes. Eat quickly."

I nodded and before I knew it, I was in the back seat of my father's car as we drove off to the next _'home'_. I silently read my favorite book, _Jane Eyre_, for hours, marveling at the beautiful, yet tragic love story of Jane and Rochester for the millionth time. I wanted a love like that, maybe not one so tragic, but I wanted the _excitement_ of it all. I wanted the _romance_. Or any romance, in general.

* * *

><p>We all took turns driving and sleeping. Arriving in Beacon Hills, two days later, my dad insisted on getting gas and a bathroom break before going to my uncles because <em>'he just couldn't hold it anymore'<em>.

He and my mother went off to find the bathrooms and grab some coffees while I was left to fill up the car. I leaned against the car, yawning as I stared out into the descending night, waiting for a worker to come help me. Soft music was playing from the speakers, causing me to feel drowsy.

I was starting to get impatient that someone hadn't come to by yet when a black car pulled up behind our SUV. The driver's door popped open and a tall, dark-haired man stood up. He pulled out a credit card and pushed some buttons before he unclipped the nozzle and placed it in his car.

I realized the reason I wasn't getting any service: California only had self-serving gas stations. This was something that I hadn't had to deal with since I started driving in Washington where they had both service and self-serving. I'd never used the self-serving ones before.

"Ex—Excuse me," I asked timidly. The man looked around, slightly confused before his pale eyes landed on me. He frowned.

"Could you help me?" I could feel my cheeks heating up with embarrassment.

"With what?" He asked expectantly in a deep, gravely voice.

"Using this," I pointed to the machine. He looked bewildered for a moment but complied. He took off his leather jacket to reveal his toned arms popping out of his tight shirt. He sauntered the short distance to me. As he came closer, I could see the details of his face clearer in the dull light above me.

The frowning man had bright, smoldering blue eyes that reflected in the light. His big, dark brows highlighted his blues perfectly, making them stand out more. He had high cheek bones that were accentuated on his handsome face.

Heat was rising in my face for a different reason.

He looked me in the eyes and said, "I need your heart."

My eyes grew in size, "W-What?" I stuttered.

"I need your card." He repeated.

I nodded quickly, feeling silly. "Oh, right," I opened up my purse and grabbed a credit card. He snatched it from my hand and put it in the machine.

"What kind of gas?"

"Um—Diesel?"

"Are you sure?" He said, starting to get impatient.

"Yeah," I nodded, feeling even more stupid, "Yeah, I'm sure."

He pushed a few buttons. "I'm not from here." I blurted.

He furrowed his dark brows, glancing at me.

"I—I mean, I'm new. That's why I don't know how to use this. We don't have these where I'm from. Otherwise I wouldn't have bothered you…" I rambled.

"Where are you from?" He handed back my card.

"Pretty much everywhere," I laughed slightly, "We move around a lot. We actually just got into town tonight." I wasn't sure why I was still talking to him because he didn't seem very interested.

He nodded politely.

"Do you live here?" I asked conversationally.

"I grew up here." He grunted.

"And now your back?"

He nodded sharply as his station beeped, letting him be released from my twenty questions.

"Thanks for the help…?"

"Derek." He nodded, walking off toward his car.

"Thanks a lot, Derek." I smiled appreciatively. He stared at me for a few second, his eyes narrowed as he seemed to be trying to figure something out. "I'm Cassie, by the way."

He nodded again, not returning the smile. He placed the nozzle pack in its place and hopped back in his car, driving off without another word.

"Hey, Cassie, I forgot to tell you. California only has self-service stations," My father chuckled, handing me a water. "Did you manage alright?"

"Yeah," I nodded distractedly, thinking of the mysterious Derek. "I had some help."

* * *

><p>We arrived at my uncle's house five minutes after leaving the gas station. I pushed Derek out of my mind as I finally started to feel some excitement about seeing Allison again. We <em>had<em> been close when we were younger. Our families moved around together back then but there was some falling out with my Aunt Kate about six years ago and we went our separate ways.

We drove up the driveway to the large grey house and I was fighting the urge to jump out and burst through the house and greet everyone. But that wasn't proper. This wasn't our home and even if it was, my parents wouldn't approve of that sort of impulsive behavior from their only daughter.

We got our things out painfully slow and I followed my father up to the door. He knocked three times. Not long after, it burst open, blinding us with light.

"Uncle Alex! Aunt Helena! Cassie!" A female's voice cried. I was tackled with a hug; long brown hair surrounded my face.

"Hey Alli," I smiled as she released me. "It's been a long time!"

She laughed, throwing her head back, "Don't I know it! Here let me help you guys," She grabbed my mother's bag, with much protest from her.

"Really, it's no trouble!" Allison insisted. My dad's mirror image appeared at the door way as Allison slid by. My red-haired Aunt Victoria stood dutifully by his side.

"Chris," My dad grinned, hugging his twin. "How are you, Victoria?" He kissed her cheek as my mother did the same to my uncle.

"Very well, thank you," She smiled but I could tell that there was something off. Before I could think anymore of it, another voice called out to me.

"Where's my favorite niece?" A gorgeous blond pulled me into a crushing hug.

"Aunt Kate?" I breathed, shocked. I hadn't realized she was going to be here since no one had really talked to her for years.

"I thought_ I _was your favorite niece?" Allison glared playfully.

"That was when I first got here. Now, I'm bored with you." Aunt Kate released me, laughing heartily.

"So rude," Allison pouted. "Well come in, you guys!" She grabbed my suitcase and pulled me inside her cool house.

My parents filed in as well and we all met in the living room.

"Did you have a good trip?" Aunt Victoria questioned, hugging me. I nodded, smiling reassuringly.

"I'm just tired." I yawned as I said it. The adults chuckled, glancing at the time.

"It's late and you need sleep before school tomorrow." My mother decided, "Why don't you show Cassie where she's sleeping, Allison?"

Allison nodded eagerly, picking my bag up again.

"Good night everyone," I called from the stairs. They wished me the same.

Allison was already at the top by the time I turned around. I hurried after her, pumping my arms to go faster. When I reached the top, Allison was waiting for me at the end of the hall. I followed her, entering the warmly lit, purple walled room. A good sized blow up bed was propped next to hers.

"We have to share," She told me, "Your parents are in the guest room and I didn't think you'd be very comfortable on the couch and you never liked sleeping alone when we were younger so I volunteered this. Is that okay?" She asked worriedly. I stood there, a little shocked and overwhelmed that she remembered that.

"This is fine," I told her, laughing lightly. "My parents said they already found a house so this is just temporary until the rest of our stuff comes."

She breathed a sigh of relief as I started unpacking my toiletries. "Well I'm glad you're here. I can't wait 'til you meet my friends! I haven't stopped talking about this all week! I'm pretty sure Scott's getting annoyed." She finished, giggling.

"You've known for a week?" I stopped, glancing up at her. "I just found out last night."

"Oh," She said sympathetically, knowing exactly how I was feeling. It came with the territory of constant moving.

"Who's Scott?"

She lit up suddenly at the mention of his name, "My boyfriend."

"_Awww_," I cooed, making her face go red as she laughed it off. "How long have you been together?"

"Pretty much since I moved here a month ago." She informed me as she hopped on top her bed.

"Wow," I sighed, feeling jealous that she could make connections so fast. The constant moving had left me a little guarded.

"He's amazing. He's so sweet and funny and just…_perfect_." She smiled, daydreaming slightly.

"I can't wait to meet him." I said nervously. If her friends didn't like me, then I wouldn't have anyone to hang out with.

"You are gonna get along fine with him and everyone else." She assured me.

I nodded, hoping this was true.

"But you're probably tired from the trip so we should get to bed!" She jumped up suddenly.

"Yeah," I rubbed my aching eyes, "Good idea."

She sighed, smiling broadly at me before she pulled me into another hug. "I'm glad you're here, Cassie."

I hugged her back tightly, "Me too, Alli. Me too."

And I was. A little scared, but happy to be with my old, and somehow only, best friend.


	3. Friends And Fauxs

It was another sleepless night, which didn't put a great start on my first day at school. When I decided that it was a reasonable hour to get dressed, I did. I was ready for school before Allison had even woken up.

"Excited?" She yawned, stretching out over her bed.

"No," I said truthfully, "It's only my fifteenth school since I started preschool."

Allison smiled in understanding. "I feel like this place is different."

"I think you've said that about every place we lived." I grinned, reminding her.

"Well," She tossed the blankets from her legs, "This place _is_ different. And you're gonna like it. _Trust me_."

"Alright," I agreed half-heartedly as she picked out her outfit for the day.

We pulled up to Beacon Hills High School at half past seven. It was the usual school scene: kids running around, talking about some big game coming up, parties, or the huge test they had today. I was as nervous as I always was for endless amount of first days of school, but this time I had Allison. I didn't have to try to connect with other people and that pushed a little less pressure on me.

I was getting that 'who's-the-new-girl' stare that I had become so familiar with but never quite used to. I was always the girl who wished she could blend in with the scenery, just getting by alone because I was lucky if I ever _really_ got to know anyone.

People were whispering about me as Allison and I walked up to the school. I could feel my face heat up as my nerves started to kick in. My paced increased as I tried to get into the safety of the school. Allison had to jog to keep up.

"Calm down, Cassie," She smiled reassuringly as we entered the brick building. "We'll get your schedule and find your first period. You don't have to go through this day alone." That was nice, but I was always alone no matter how many people were in the room with me. Coming from anyone else, I would have ignored them. But Allison understood. She always got me.

"Class, this is our new student, Cassidy Argent," My first period teacher insisted on introducing me to the class, much to my dismay.

"Cassie," I muttered. "Cassie's fine."

The squat, gray-haired woman ignored me again. "Where can we sit you…?" She tapped her chin with a chubby, gaudy ring-clad finger, examining the room, "_Ah_! Why don't you take a seat next to Jackson, Cassidy." She pointed that same chubby finger at a good looking blonde leaning in his chair with a bored expression.

I nodded without trying to correct her and gladly took my seat, wanting to get out of the spot light she'd placed me in.

I placed my binder and notebook neatly upon my graffitied wooden desk, well aware that the boy named Jackson was watching me. I glanced up at him, hoping he'd just look away but he only smirked.

"So, Cass. Can I call you Cass?" (Like it mattered if I'd said no.) "You're Allison's cousin, right?"

"Yeah," I answered. He looked me up and down, looking pleased with himself for some reason. "Who are you?" I asked when he didn't introduce himself.

"Jackson Whittemore. Captain of the lacrosse team." I was certain this was supposed to impress me.

I nodded politely. "Congrats."

He narrowed his eyes for a moment before smirking again. "You coming to our game tomorrow?"

"I don't know," I said truthfully. I didn't even know what lacrosse was to be totally honest and my parents had found me a volunteer job at the local hospital that I was starting soon. My parents wanted me to be a doctor, though my heart was totally in it. I was much more of a 'keep-to-myself' kind of girl. As if they didn't know that already (being my _parents_ and all). My real passion in life was writing. I loved literature and hoped one day to be a writer. Of course, that was only if it didn't coincide with my parents ready-made plans for me.

"You should come and cheer me on. We've won state the past three years so we'll probably win this game. But you should come anyway." He winked flirtatiously. I smiled politely.

"Sounds like fun." I lied, "I'll ask Allison if she wants to go." I started to turn my attention back to the syllabus on my desk but Jackson didn't seem to be done with me.

"Oh, Allison's going," He told me, "Her boyfriends on the team." He sounded annoyed. I see someone's not too fond of Scott.

"Oh."

"You should go." He insisted.

"Sure." I only said it so he would leave me alone.

* * *

><p>The bell signaled the end of class and everyone hurried off to break. I shoved my binder back into my bag and stood up, only to see Jackson waiting by the door for me.<p>

"I'm meeting Allison and Lydia. I'll walk you." He smiled as I passed by him.

"Okay," I said quietly.

I wasn't sure if I liked Jackson or not. He was a persistent son of a bitch for one thing and that wasn't something I was used to. Nobody fought for my attention or friendship. I always figured I gave off some weird vibe that told people to stay away because half way through the year I was going to be gone anyway.

He talked my ear off for the thirty second walk and I was relieved when I caught sight of Allison.

"Cassie!" She waved, her lips growing into a smile.

Jackson tossed his arm lazily over my shoulder as we reached Allison and a pretty, petite strawberry blonde. Her hazel eyes were narrowed as she took in my appearance. I could feel her sizing me up. For some reason this made me straightened up my posture and try to shake Jackson's arm off me. He didn't seem to want to let go.

"I see you've met Cassie, Jackson," Allison said brightly.

"Yes," He grinned cockily, "Cass and I have History together." That sounded more like he was implying something.

"Cass?" The petite girl said, raising an eyebrow at Jackson.

"Yes, Lydia. This is Cass, Allison's cousin." Jackson told her.

"This is Lydia," Allison introduced us, "Lydia, meet Cassie…Or Cass, I guess." She gave Jackson a strange look.

"Nice to meet you," I smiled shyly.

She pursed her lips, "I'm sure it is."

"Lydia," Allison nudged her warningly. I couldn't win them all over and it probably had to do with the fact that Jackson was on top of me. I was assuming this was his girlfriend and she was seeing me as a threat. When he left—assuming he would ever leave me again—I would let her know I wasn't interested.

"Fine. It's nice to meet you too. Allison's told us so much about you. Blah, blah, blah." She rolled her eyes.

"Sorry about Lydia. She gets bitchy around this time of the month." Jackson glared at Lydia. He wasn't helping my case. At all.

"It's fine, really." I tried shaking Jackson off again. This time it worked and he crossed his arms across his chest.

"Scott!" Allison called out, sensing this was going badly. A cute tan, brunette boy was grinning widely at Allison. He was walking next to another nerdish, cute boy with pale skin and buzz cut.

I leaned against the locker next me, feeling tired from the lack of sleep I was getting and the amount of people I was meeting.

"Hey, Allison," The tan boy said as he reached us.

"Hey Lydia!" His nerdy friend breathed, looking at Lydia like she was some sort of angel. Lydia, however, didn't seem to see the boy because her and Jackson appeared to be having some sort of silent argument with their eyes.

"Scott, Stiles," She looked at them and then pointed at me, "This is Cassie, my cousin."

Around this school I was obviously going to be known as Allison's cousin, not Cassie. I wasn't bothered by that, though.

"Oh, hi!" The boy called Stiles smiled brightly, "I'm Stiles!"

Scott laughed at his friend's overexcited attitude. "I would be Scott."

"The boyfriend." I acknowledged.

His cheek burned a little, "Allison told you about me?"

I couldn't help but smile as I nodded. The bell for class rang just as he opened his mouth again.

"See you at lunch!" Allison promised as she clasped hands with Scott, walking off. Stiles hesitated, gazing back over to Lydia who was turning to leave, waiting for Jackson.

"Bye, Lydia," He tried again. She was only paying attention to Jackson. Poor boy was hopelessly in love with this girl and she somehow ignored his existence.

"See you later, Cass," Jackson smirked, his arm grazed mine as Lydia took his hand, leading him away.

I smiled awkwardly at Stiles. "I guess I'll see you around too." He rubbed the back of his head, snapping his attention back towards me.

"Yeah! Definitely!" And with that I walked off for my least favorite class: Algebra.

* * *

><p>The rest of the day passed without a hitch. Lunch was a little uncomfortable when Jackson sat next to me instead of Lydia. Scott and Jackson obviously had some rivalry tension thing but it was fine other than that. Stiles kept making jokes, keeping my mind of my stressful situation. I liked Stiles. He was funny. Too bad Lydia didn't see that.<p>

When the boys left for some lacrosse meeting, I finally got the chance to tell Lydia that I was not interested in Jackson whatsoever. She warmed up to me considerably after that. In fact, she invited me to hang out with her and Allison at the game tomorrow.

"When do I start working at the hospital?" I questioned Allison. She seemed to know more about my situation then I did.

"After school today. I made sure you were off tomorrow so you could have some normal high school kid time." She smiled hopefully. She knew I wasn't exactly the social butterfly type that she was, but I was going to make an effort here. I didn't want to embarrass Allison by being antisocial and maybe this time _would_ be different. There were only two more years of school left. Maybe my parents could hold out those two years if we were around family.

"Then I guess I'm going to the lacrosse game." I sent her a reassuring smile.

"Good." Lydia announced, flicking her hair over her shoulder. "It's settled. Welcome to the world of popularity, Cassie." She smirked at the jocks at the tables surrounding us, goggling at us like we were something on show for them to see.

* * *

><p>Allison dropped me off at Beacon Hills Hospital right after school, wishing me good luck.<p>

"Call me when you need me to pick you up." She told me before waving as she drove off.

I took a deep breath and headed into the hospital. It was busy. There were many people of various races and ailments sitting in uncomfortable plastic chairs, filling out paperwork. The phones were ringing off the hook as paramedics came rushing by me. One muttered _'excuse me'_ when they almost knocked me down.

I hurried out of the way and up to the front desk. A young, harassed looking woman with curly brown hair looked up at me and signaled me with a finger to hold on a moment. She finished up talking to someone on the phone and glanced back at me.

"Cassidy Argent?" She said hopefully. When I nodded she let out a sigh of relief.

"As you can see, we're a little pressed for staff and we need someone to man the long-term patient station." She told me, looking quite distressed, "I know this is your first day, but could you _please_ head back there and be in charge until we get a handle on all these patients." She pointed out at the flooded waiting area. "There's not much to do, not many people come to visit, but just incase, we need you to sign them in and out. Visiting hours end in an hour so you won't have to worry about much."

"Oh—Um—Y-Yeah," I stuttered, already feeling stretched too thin but this woman needed help and I was here to work, so I obliged.

"Oh, thank you so much!" She smiled and wrote me down directions to get there. I followed them and arrived at the first empty part of the hospital. It was a little eerie and too quiet compared to the rest of the hospital.

The only sounds were feint beeps coming from the patients' rooms and my soft breathing. I set my bag underneath the desk and plopped into the soft rotating chair. Since I was probably just going to be sitting here for the next four hours, I decided I should probably start my math homework.

* * *

><p>Forty-five minutes later, I wasn't even half way done. I tugged a hand through my hair for the millionth time, growing more and more agitated by the problem. There was no answer. The book was lying and tricking me because no matter what I did, I couldn't get the same answer it had in the back of the book.<p>

I groaned and tossed my head into the dumb book in frustration. I could feel tears of anger rising under my lids. Math was literally making me cry. This class shouldn't be a requirement for someone who wanted to be a writer. Unfortunately, I was supposed to be a doctor so it looks like I have hell to look forward to….

"Excuse me," A husky voice demanded. I gasped, shaken by this intruder's silent entrance, and even more shake by the person standing before me. I glanced up, shocked to see Derek. He looked just as shocked as his pupils widened before he regained his composure.

"Derek?" I muttered. He seemed to be regretting his decision to come here.

"Where's the sign in sheet?" He demanded, refusing to acknowledge who I was.

"Oh!" I started rummaging through my papers for the clipboard. I had made a big mess with my homework in the little time I'd spent here. One could say I wasn't the _most_ organized person.

I found the clipboard only to clumsily drop in over the ledge. I shot around the desk and bent down to get it at the same time Derek crouched down. We both had an end in our hands and were still on the ground. I flashed my dark eyes up to his pale ones to see him scrutinizing my face again. Maybe he didn't remember me from yesterday. After all, I was just some plain sixteen year old who got so flustered that she couldn't seem to do anything right in this mans presence. He probably got that a lot.

"I'm so sorry!" I said in a small voice. "You probably think that I'm some sort of helpless spaz but I'm _really_ not usually like this. I'm usually always calm, cool, and collected but you only seem to pop up when I'm doing something I don't know how to do…"

"It's fine." He stood up with me, taking the clipboard from me and placing it gently on the counter. "Do you think you could find me a pen without somehow stabbing yourself with it?"

It took me a few seconds to realize he was actually making a joke. I probably wouldn't have known if his eyes didn't brighten up a bit because his facial expression barely changed.

"I think I can manage that," I found myself smiling lightly. I reached over the counter, carefully grabbing my pen with my whole hand (just to be safe) and handed it to him.

He mumbled his thanks and started scribbling his name on the paper.

"You come here often?" It sounded even stupider in my head, and yet, it slipped out anyway. This man was like a disease that turned me into a bumbling idiot.

But somehow, and I'm not even quite sure if I didn't imagined it, Derek laughed. Actually, it was more of a chuckle but his lips still curled into a small smile and I felt my heart skip a beat.

"Cassie, right?" I felt butterflies in my stomach when he uttered my name and couldn't believe how I was acting. I was turning into some girly girl who fell for any cute guy who could remember her name.

"That would be me." I nodded lamely. I had a constant blush on my face around this guy that probably looked like a gross rash. I wished he would go away so I could deal with my embarrassment in peace, but part of me wanted him to stay and talk to me forever.

"Well, Cassie," He handed me back my pen, "Since you apparently work here now, I come visit my uncle every Thursday. Just letting you know for future reference."

I smiled at his sweetness. That lady, I could only remember her last name was McCall from her I.D., had told me no one really came to visit these people. Obviously she hadn't met Derek.

"I've heard that even if people aren't totally with us, they can still sense and hear us." I said kindly.

"Is that something they teach you in medical school?" He asked quietly. He thought I was a real doctor. _Oh God_. No wonder he was still talking to me.

"No, they only teach you ethics. You learn the rest from personal experience." I wasn't _technically_ lying to him. I never said I actually went to medical school…not that it made a difference to my guilt.

"I see," He answered, his eyes not leaving mine.

"You've only got like ten minutes until visiting hours are over." I informed him, turning away from him abruptly, "You should go see your uncle."

"See you around, Cassie." I heard him say as I messed around with things on my desk for something to do. I peeked over the desk to see his retreating figure. He strutted down the hall and I would be lying if I hadn't been checking him out. I mentally cursed myself for it. He had to be at _least_ twenty-four, maybe older! I was sixteen and apparently looked a lot older then it if he thought I was in medical school.

I huffed as I snatched the clipboard from the counter. I examined the list and Derek was the only name on it. He had surprisingly nice handwriting for a guy, maybe even nicer than my own. _Derek Hale_. That was his name. _Hale_…that name sounded familiar for some reason though I could place where….


	4. Dirty Little Secret

As I sat in the stands with Allison, our parents, and Lydia, I realized just _how_ big lacrosse was in Beacon Hills. I'd gone out to one football game in Seattle and it was packed to the brim. It was the same case here with lacrosse. I was convinced that the whole town was at this game, from old folks to newborns, from rich to poor. _Everyone _was here. It made me slightly worried that I would run into Derek. I didn't know much about him other than he was gorgeous, drove a nice black car, and visited his uncle at the hospital on Thursdays. He could be the biggest lacrosse buff for all I knew.

I didn't know much about lacrosse, but I knew we were losing and Lydia was _very _unhappy about it. She made Allison help her with a poster for Jackson and made the crowd cheer for him. I kind of felt bad for Scott. Allison was cheering for him but no one on the field was passing to him even though (as far as I could tell) he was open for most of the game. With five minutes left in the game, and no one willing to pass it to Scott, I didn't see how they could win this.

Scott had been acting strangely for the past few minutes. I had also noticed Stiles was acting very anxious and high strung on the bench. His eyes didn't leave Scott and he seemed to be mumbling something. I was no lip reader so I didn't know _exactly _what he was saying, but I used my deductive reasoning and could bet my life's saving it was about Scott.

Scott bent over, as if he was in pain. The ball flew by a few meters away and Scott sprinted over, made an incredible catch and miraculously dodged every player to score the tying goal. I didn't understand how he could have seen the ball or been so prepared for it. He hadn't even looked up before he moved.

Allison was screaming her head off cheering for her boyfriend. Lydia was pursing her lips, thinking something over. I glanced back down at Stiles to see him standing up, laughing in shock and relief.

"That was an _amazing _shot!" Allison cried excitedly over the booming crowd.

"That really was," I agreed, nodding slowly, as I watched the ball fly into action. The other players seemed to slither away from Scott as if he were a disease. Allison was chatting too adamantly with Lydia to notice anything strange about the way Scott was acting.

Scott zigzagged across the field, dodging a rogue Jackson, and flipping over the last defender to chuck the ball into the goal so hard it ripped a hole through the goalie's net _and _goal.

Lydia and Allison were jumping up and down celebrating with the rest of the crowd as the buzzer rang, signaling the end of the game. I clapped politely, thinking privately that lacrosse was about as interesting as football—as in not very.

"Let's go congratulate him!" Allison grabbed my arm and led me down the bleachers as Lydia set off for Jackson. I caught a glimpse of their faces latched on to each other. Jackson pulled away and glanced up at me. I smiled politely and gave him thumbs up, signaling that I thought he did a good job. He _had _scored two of the goals tonight.

He smirked at me, clearly pleased with himself. Lydia grabbed his face again, recalling his attention. Allison was peering over the crowd in search for Scott who had mysteriously disappeared. I leaned over a man next to me to see Scott running back to the locker rooms, hunched over.

"He's over there," I pointed to Scott's shrinking form. She nodded and ran off after him. I decided to walk, not wanting to intrude on what ever was going on with him and what _was _going to happen when Allison came to 'congratulate' him.

I tightened my jacket around myself. Taking a step forward, I was suddenly knocked hard into the dirt floor.

"_Umph_!" The person groaned, getting off from on top of me.

"Stiles?" I muttered, sitting on the ground on the back of my elbows.

"_Cassie_! Hi!" He stared at me with wide brown eyes. "Sorry! I was just—didn't mean to—let me help you!" He yanked me up unceremoniously. I rubbed my sore shoulders when he released me.

"What's the rush?" I asked, glancing around at the dispersing crowd when my eye caught that familiar brooding man standing by the grand stand. I gasped and turned back towards Stiles, trying to hide my face in the curtains of my hair. My heart was pounding in my chest at the thought of Derek being here, where I was a student, where my parents were waiting for me.

"Just you know—looking for my bestie!" Stiles laughed a little too loudly. I nodded, smiling at his absurdity. He was obviously keeping something from me but I wasn't one to bother someone about things if they didn't want to tell me. I also didn't want Derek to see me with Stiles so I pointed to where his friend had gone.

"Last I saw him he was heading towards the locker room. Allison went after him." I informed him. He nodded, running off after his two friends.

"See you later!" He called and left me standing alone…or so I thought.

"Cassie?" A gravely, becoming-all-too-familiar-voice asked. I whipped around to look up at those electrifyingly blue eyes.

"H-Hey, Derek," I smiled unconvincingly, shoving my hands in my pockets. "Pretty great game, huh?"

He gave me a strange look before chuckling, "I didn't peg you for a sports girl."

I smiled, shaking my head, "I'm _definitely _not, but my cousin is—she wanted me to mingle with people in town—so, here I am." I shrugged. "What about you?"

"What about me?" He tilted his head.

"You a big fan of lacrosse?" I wanted to know more about this man. One day a week wasn't enough for me.

"I used to play in high school." He snorted, reminiscing on those days for a few moments.

"I bet you were captain." I pushed a stray piece of hair behind my ear, only for it to fall back out. He reached out, touching my jaw line softly as he swiped up my cheek, pushing the stubborn hairs back. I smiled shyly, feeling my face heat up under his touch.

"I didn't make it that far." He muttered. My hand lifted absentmindedly to his. I placed my ice cold one on his large warm one. "You're freezing." He breathed, immediately sliding off his jacket and placing it over my shoulders before I could refuse.

"Thanks," I smiled appreciatively, wrapping his warm coat around me further. "Now you'll be cold." I protested slightly.

"I'll be okay. I'm always warm." There was something about the way he said it that felt odd to me.

We just stared at each other for a few seconds. I wanted to kiss him. _A lot_. I had never kissed a boy before, let alone this man who probably had _lots _of experience. My eyes flickered between his smoldering eyes and red, inviting lips. He was leaning in; even without any experience I understood the schematics behind kissing and 'moments'.

I froze, though. I let my nerve get the better of me and cleared my throat awkwardly. "How come you didn't make it far enough to become captain?"

He pulled back, reading my face, "I quit my senior year."

"Did you not like it anymore, or…?" I was probably pushing my boundaries.

"Personal problems. I was having trouble with…aggression. I had some stuff happen to my family too..." He looked down at the ground. It was kind of like talking to my parents. I could hear the words he was speaking but I could see the cracks in his stories.

I nodded, telling him I understood he didn't want to talk about it. Before I could ruin the moment again, Derek placed his lips on mine. I didn't respond at first, I was too shocked by the fact that Derek Hale was kissing _me_. Then the second shock hit me that Derek was _kissing _me. I was having my first kiss with a man over five years older than me.

I forced my brain and lips into motion. It was slow and I was seriously regretting my lack of boyfriends now that I had Derek. I had known him for barely a week and here we were, kissing passionately on a lacrosse field with most of the town hanging out behind us.

This was _not_ like me. I _never_ did crazy out of the box things. I definitely didn't kiss strange, mysterious men. My kissing history backed _that_up. Even with my lack of kissing knowledge, I knew that this was a mind blowing kiss. He was perfect and even his imperfections seemed to outshine me.

He pulled away slowly; his sweet breath hit my now-hot face. He pushed back that stubborn hair again and chuckled lightly.

"That was…" I breathed with a coy smile on my face. His smile widened as he took in my shocked, flustered appearance. The man liked to make me tick, I could tell that much.

"Amazing…like you." I took in a sharp intake of breath as I looked back into his glimmering eyes.

"You barely know me." I mumbled, feeling slightly uncomfortable under his intense gaze. His eyes rummaged over my body and then flashed back to my dark brown orbs.

"What are you doing tomorrow night?" He inquired.

"I've got work tomorrow 'til six-thirty. Why?" I questioned as he smirked flirtatiously at me. It wasn't like the way Jackson did it. Derek's smirk made my whole body heat up, embarrassingly lusting over this man. Jackson was just a child who was used to getting whatever he wanted with his looks and talent. There was so much more to Derek that I couldn't wait to learn. I also hoped to kiss him again soon…

"I want to get to know you." He said in a low voice.

"I'd like that," I said truthfully, gliding my hand up his muscular bare arm in what I hoped was flirtatious. I was new to this.

"I'll pick you up after work and we'll go do something." He told me. I nodded hypnotically. I would probably agree to setting a forest on fire if that meant spending more time with Derek.

"I'll see you at six-thirty," He sent me that heart melting smile again before walking off.

"I can't wait," I sighed as my heart fluttered endlessly over that man.

I watched him saunter off, hands casually in his jeans. He scowled over at the back of the school where Allison, Scott, and Stiles had disappeared to. I thought it was a bit weird but my thoughts were too focused on our mesmerizing kiss to read into it. I breathed in his intoxicating fumes, still lingering on his jacket. I wasn't sure what I was going to tell Allison when she noticed I had some guy's jacket.

I'd never kept a secret from Allison or my parents before but Derek was dangerous and unpredictable. He was making me the person I always wished I could be and I wanted to keep him my dirty little secret. I decided that for once in my life, I was going to take risks and Derek Hale was the biggest risk I'd ever made. _And I'd never felt so alive._


	5. Breaking And Entering

The hours seemed to drone on as I waited for my release from my shift. I was sitting dutifully in at the desk in the Long-Term hall, waiting excitedly for my first date…ever. I wasn't sure what to expect or what to wear and since I couldn't exactly ask Allison for advice, I did my best with the clothes I had. I was suddenly wishing I had brought more of my dressier, nicer clothes. The rest of them wouldn't be here until we moved into our new house later in the week.

I tapped my foot impatiently as I watched the clock _tick_ by excruciatingly slow. After what seemed like _much _longer than my six hour shift, the clock turned to six-thirty. At once, I threw my purse around my shoulder and swiftly walked back down the hall to sign out with Nurse McCall.

"What's the rush?" She asked, chuckling at my unusually messy handwriting.

"Got a date," I blushed, smiling widely back. I was so full of excitement and nervousness that I couldn't help but tell Ms. McCall. She wouldn't tell anyone and probably wouldn't think twice about it later on. My secret was safe with this woman I barely knew.

"Already met a boy?" She quipped, taking back the clip board, "My son's going out tonight too." Her happy eyes crinkled, "Have fun tonight!"

I nodded, thanking her, and ran out the automatic doors into the cold falling night. I hopped onto a bench and sat there, waiting. Seconds went on to minutes and before I knew it, it was seven. Was there a waiting period on this sort of thing? I kept telling myself he'd just gotten stuck in traffic or had taken a nap and forgot to set an alarm. I'd never been on a date before so I was unsure whether guys were usually late. Somewhere in me _knew _that this shouldn't happen. Derek should have been here at least twenty minutes ago if he was going to come at all.

Feeling stupid and hurt, I pulled out my phone to call Allison. I knew she was supposed to be going out with Scott, Jackson, and Lydia tonight, but I needed a ride and my parents would ask too many questions.

I pressed Allison's number when a message popped up suddenly.

_Change of plans. Meet me at the school. URGENT. –Derek_

It was a weird message, I'd have to admit. Of all the places I could meet him, the school seemed to be the last destination I would have thought of. There was something odd about the message but I wanted an explanation about why he was a half hour late. Had he found out that I was still in high school and that's why he wanted to meet there?

I decided to walk since the school wasn't too far away from the hospital and it would give me something to do besides freak out about what the text meant. However, that was not exactly what happened.

I spent the whole walk over thinking of ways he could have found out or why he would want to meet me at the school. I even went as far as thinking he had turned into some sort of mythical mind reader and that's how he had discovered my secret 'double life'.

Pulling Derek's jacket over me, I shivered in the cold Beacon Hills night air. The moon hovered above me, being the only light to guide me. I reached my destination within fifteen minutes to see that I wasn't the only one coming to the school at night. I recognized all three cars in the parking lot: Stiles' Jeep, Jackson's Porsche, and Derek's Mercedes. The hood of Stiles' jeep was bent and as I got closer, I realized his battery was missing.

Pressing my palm across the cool exterior of the hood, I felt creases. In the moonlight they looked like scratch marks but my eyes had to be deceiving me. What kind of animal could pull back the hood of a car and pull out its battery? I glanced up at the school doors (which were propped open), the chain that had once locked it was lying limp on the stairs and a pair of bolt cutters sat next to it. What the hell had happened here?

I looked around me, feeling uneasy and very much _not _alone. My eye caught something red; something that looked awfully a lot like blood. I gulped as I walked slowly towards it, fearing what I might find. I peered around Derek's car to see a huge smear of blood. I felt nauseous and terrified. Had Derek been injured? Was that why he wanted to meet here?

"Derek?" I whimpered pathetically in the dead silence. Only crickets answered me. "Derek, where are you?"

I heard a creak from the basketball courts and froze in my tracks. My heart was hammering in my chest as I tried to steady my breathing. The bloody tracks dragged on into the forest. Against my better judgment, I followed them.

The dark, dank forest was even spookier than the lack of student on the school ground. Only the sound of my ragged breaths and twigs snapping under my feet could be heard.

"Derek?" I tried again after about ten minutes of walking. Faintly, the sound of rustling leaves echoed in my ears. "Derek, is that you?"

I popped up in a small clearing of the forest. The only thing to be seen was a large, decrepit house that looked as if it had been set fire to years ago. I imagined it was gorgeous in its prime and it had a kind of eerie elegance to it, even now. The gravel under my feet crunched as I swept off towards the house.

Curiosity got the better of me, even though I knew I shouldn't be trespassing. I invited myself in the old, cold house. To my surprise, it didn't look nearly as abandoned inside as it did out. The house creaking uneasily in the slight wind but I pressed onward.

There was a scantily amount of furnishing in the house, enough just to live with the basics. As I led myself on a tour of the house, I saw that the kitchen held food and a table but not much else. On the old wooden table held an old book that I recognized immediately as _Paradise Lost_. It was as worn and well-read as the copy I had.

I assumed the water worked because the dishwasher light was on, waiting to be unloaded. I headed back to the living room and examined the mantel. It looked as if one day it had been a great, warm meeting place for the old family owners. There were two old, burned picture frames on top the mantel. The glass was broken and the pictures were horribly faded.

I reached out a shaky hand and grasped one: it was an old family photo. The whole family was gifted with beautiful looks. The man and woman were holding each other lovingly, smiling as though nothing as terrible as losing all their prize possessions in a fire could possibly happen. Their daughter, who had to be around eighteen, had her arm lazily around her brother who couldn't have been much younger. She was grinning from ear to ear straight into the cameras lens. She was a gorgeous girl and I wondered whether she had survived the fire. The boys face was more faded then the others but with a gasp, I had no problem identifying him.

The boy in the picture, though probably five years younger, was unmistakably Derek. His face was fuller, like he hadn't lost all his boyishness, his eyes alight with innocence. Derek looked so much different in this picture than he did now, and if I was some passing stranger, I wouldn't have made the connection. The Derek I knew was hardened, whether by this fire or by something else I didn't know. But I wanted to.

I set the picture down, feeling ashamed at myself. I had just barged into Derek's home when he probably didn't, and would never, want me coming inside. I hurried back outside, deciding to look for Derek back at the school. Maybe Allison or Stiles had seen him. It hadn't dawned on me until now that they could have been in trouble themselves.

With renewed purpose, I sprinted back to the school.

* * *

><p>I made in back within minutes and didn't stop running even after I'd made it inside.<p>

"Allison!" I cried, my voice echoing loudly to any intruders to find me, "Stiles! Scott! Jackson? Lydia?" My voice faltered when I reached the main hall and heard something unsettling behind me. It sounded like growling. A deep graveling growl erupted from the hall my back was currently facing.

The hairs on the back of my neck were standing on end as I turned around slowly. I was so terrified I couldn't even scream at the sight in front of me. Some huge, brown beast was crawling towards me on his hands and feet. His red eyes gleamed, feeling as if he was penetrating my soul. His large yellow teeth were bearing at me, readying for the kill.

I didn't dare let my eyes leave his as I whispered for someone to help me. The beast edged closer and closer until my knees gave out and he hovered over me.

"H-Help…" I stuttered for anyone to hear. He sniffed at Derek's jacket and then pulled away to look at me. With an unsettling feeling, I knew he was smiling at me. His lips were curled up as the monster started shaking with what sounded like laughter.

"Cassie?" Someone's voice shouted, causing the monster to become distracted. My mind was screaming for me to get up and run but my body was too paralyzed with fear to listen. "Cassie, _run_!"

I wanted to but I couldn't. Someone would have to carry me away.

"Get away from her!" The voice called, I finally glanced over at him, with wide, terrified eyes. I registered that it was Scott but did nothing to let him help me. The monster seemed to be more interested with Scott than me. He leapt up and chased Scott away down the hall. Second later they both disappeared.

The only thing I seemed to be able to do was sit up against the wall. I should have been running away. I should have been going after Scott and making sure that he was okay. But I did neither of those things. I sat against the wall in daze, not even sort of understanding what was happening. What the hell had that _thing _been? And why had it sniffed me and then started smiling? It made me feel a little sick and dizzy to recap all that had happened since I'd gotten off work.

Tonight I was supposed to get some fairytale date with Derek. Instead, my night had ended up like some horror movie. Derek was somewhere bleeding out, I'd stumbled across his house that had burned down some years ago yet he still inhabited, I was attacked by some creature from a horror movie, and Scott was currently being chased by it while I sat here helplessly. I had no idea where my cousin and other friends were and the more I thought about the beast, the more I thought it looked like some sort of wolf.

I let out an uneasy laugh, feeling foolish I would even think such things. Werewolves and vampires didn't exist. Those things only lived in crappy teen love triangle stories and movies of the twenty-first century.

"You're being ridiculous, Cassie," I told myself, "Werewolves are things of fables, like my nonexistent relationship with Derek." I mumbled sadly, finally calming down enough to pick myself up off the ground.

Suddenly, a huge growl and scream filled the halls. It was so loud that I had to cover my ears. It echoed for a few seconds before I could take my hands away. I stood in the large, empty hall in silence for a few moments wishing Scott would come back.

In the distance I thought I saw something. Squinting my eyes, I glimpsed Scott walking slowly down the hall towards me.

"Scott?" I called, feeling relieved. He didn't answer me which made me fearful that he had been injured. Scott was dragging his feet and kept him head down as he headed straight for me. "Scott, what happened? What was that thing?"

He was acting strange and it was beginning to scare me. "Scott, answer me!"

The closer he got, the more obvious it appeared that there was something different about him. His hands were clenched into fists but his nails looked longer, and oddly, sharper. His face looked somewhat hairier than it had appeared to be minutes ago.

"_Scott_?" My voice cracked.

He lifted his head up slowly; his eyes were suddenly a blazing golden color. He tilted his head and I could see that his features were off, even at this distance in the dark. Scott's pace picked up and just before I could get a better glimpse of his face in the moonlight, someone rammed into me, threw me over their shoulder in one easy motion and ran with inhuman speed out the front doors.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: <em>**_Let me know what you guys think (;_


	6. Blood Lust

I screamed loudly, kicking wildly to be released. I was terrified out of my mind. Seconds ago, Scott had been coming towards, looking different. Just before I could get a better look I had been slammed into. _Hard_.

I ached but I would deal with the pain later. Who was running off with my body over their shoulders like a sack of potatoes? They didn't seem bothered in the slightest by my punches. I had never been so frightened in my life. I screamed for them to release me, kicking some more like a child having a tantrum.

Lifting my small fist again to hit the strong back I noticed it was all red. Blood covered my hands. I gasped, realizing after a minute of riding on this person's back that it was drenched in blood.

I struggled to get a better look at his face. I could only see the hair but it looked awfully like Derek's. In fear of hurting him more, I stopped wiggling around. Without the fondest idea of where we were headed, I closed my eyes, hoping that this _was_ Derek. I felt safer in the forest now, guessing that this had to be Derek.

We had covered more ground then I would have dreamed possibly on foot in only a few minutes. It looked as if we were already at the clearing of Derek's house. It had taken me ten minutes and I was pretty fit. But Derek was faster than humanly possible.

He slowed down abruptly. Slowly and carefully, he pulled me down. With a soft crunch, my feet were back on solid ground. I immediately took in Derek's appearance. The whole front of his grey t-shirt was soaked in that vital crimson liquid. I gasped, reaching out to find the source of the wound. I touched the flap of his shirt and felt perplexed. There was no open wound where there should have been one with all the blood. There was only a healing gash that looked as if it had been scabbing for weeks.

"Wh—where is—why is—_blood_!" I blurted, not knowing what else to do. He detached my hands quickly from him, pulling back the flap, wincing a bit.

"I cut myself." He grunted, glaring down at me. I ignored it.

"Derek," I whispered, reached out again but he didn't stop me this time. "What happened?" I pleaded.

He didn't answer me. We stood there in silence. The moon illuminated his beautiful face and I felt like maybe he wasn't human. He had godlike features and ran like an Olympian athlete. God knows how deep that gash was when he originally received it. I had half a mind to ask him if he was related to Edward Cullen but I was sure that reference was beneath him. That was foolish, I was being foolish. Derek was a normal human being; there was nothing supernatural about him.

"Derek," I tried again.

"Nothing." He replied this time.

"It looks like you either just murdered someone and rolled around in their blood or you were seriously injured." I muttered, staring straight into his emotionless eyes. The amount of blood on him and I seemed like a deadly amount.

"I'm fine," He said. I didn't believe him. Well, I believed he was no longer injured, but I didn't believe he was fine anymore. Not after finding his home earlier and what happened at the school.

"Physically, yes," I swallowed, feeling intimidated by his gaze. "But you're hurting."

His tongue flickered out for a brief moment, wetting his lips. I stared at his lips, flashing back to our mind blowing kiss.

"You should go home." It hurt briefly but I wasn't going home until I got answers.

"Fine, take me home." I countered, pulling at my stained shirt. "You can explain to my dad what happened and how I got all this blood on me."

A look of confusion slipped across his face, I was unsure if it was because I accidentally told him I still lived with my parents or because he realized my white shirt was caked with his blood.

He nodded jerkily and his eyes softened as he looked back up at me. "Let's get you cleaned up." He sighed, running a rough hand through his black hair. I nodded, unable to stop myself from feeling giddy about getting a formal invitation into his house.

As he turned around, facing his house, he hesitated for a moment. Derek turned back to me as if unsure what my reaction of his living quarters would be. He was unaware that I had trespassed earlier and was, consequently, unfazed by the appearance of his house. I told him to lead the way and he looked relieved that I wasn't going to make any judgments.

He led the way across the gravel into the old, burned house. The peeling door creaked open at his touch and he waited for me to walk through before closing it behind us. I stepped inside, glancing around the slightly familiar room. Darkness still covered the house as Derek led the way, ending up at the stair case. I followed quietly behind him.

The floor boards squeaked underneath our combined weight and I couldn't help but worry whether the floor would fall in. Derek didn't say anything to me as we climbed higher. He kept walking when he reached the top, bringing me into another dark space that looked like a bedroom. Derek was bringing me into his bedroom.

My heartbeat sped up as I thought about it. This was just something innocent. He was bringing me to his room to clean me up, maybe let me borrow a shirt, but I couldn't stop my hormones from hoping that he would kiss me again.

Derek's room was clean like the rest of the house. It also looked just as inhabited as everything else, like he didn't really live here at all. His walls were burnt like the others but I could still see faint blue wallpaper in parts. I stood by his black dresser, placing a hand on some of the trinkets as he rummaged through his drawers. He moved neatly folded shirts to the side as I picked up an old picture.

It was the same girl from the picture downstairs. She was much younger in this one. The picture was so sweet that I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. The little girl and a five year old Derek sat together. It was one of those professional photos in black and white. The foresty scenery looked oddly familiar to me. His sister had her arms around him protectively, as if to say she'd never let anything bad ever happen to him. Derek was snuggled tightly in her arms, hugging her back. His gaze upon her like she was the best and most important person to him in the world. He looked so happy that it killed me to know something so terrible had happened to his family. I just wanted to know what that something was.

"What are you doing?" Derek demanded, slamming the drawer shut, a clean t-shirt clenched in his fist.

"Who is she?" I asked quietly, pointing at the girl.

His cold blue eyes brightened with sadness. Derek cleared his throat before answering, "She was my sister."

"Was?" I whispered, almost feeling his pain. How could such a sweet girl have been ripped away from her brother?

He nodded jerkily, staring at the picture for a few moments.

"How did she die?" With the angry look Derek gave me, I was afraid I had asked too much, overstepped my boundaries. But he plopped down on his bed, sighing before he responded.

"She was murdered."

I gasped, feeling tears burn my eyes. "By who?"

He shrugged, refusing to look into my eyes, "I don't know." Something told me he was lying.

"Who did it?" I asked again. This time he peered up at me with bright eyes swimming with emotion.

"The cops never found him, not like they were out doing too much to find the killer when they think it was me." He spat.

"They think _you_ did it?" I asked incredulously. "That's ridiculous! You could never kill anyone."

"You barely know me, how would you know what I'm capable of?" Derek muttered darkly. I couldn't help but chuckle at his toughness.

"I would like to know you and I'm a pretty good judge of character. I got really good at it by observing everyone around me live happy permanent lives while I bounced around so much with my parents that I forgot what it was like to reach out and make friends." I smiled lightly. His eyes squinted a bit as he took that in.

"So you moved around a lot." He quipped.

"Still do. My dad's job is unpredictable, like my Aunt Kate's and Uncle Chris'." His eyes widened as he sucked in quick breath, looking as if he was either going to be sick or punch someone. I furrowed my brows, taken aback by his strange reaction to that. I hadn't revealed anything to create such an odd reaction.

"How old are you?" I asked. He seemed to be a little out of it.

"Uh—Twenty-two?" He said distantly. I nodded, my heartbeat picking up suddenly. Derek was six years older. And for some reason, it just turned made me want him even more.

I was afraid he'd ask me the same question so I changed the subject.

"What happened to the rest of your family?" This was the question he didn't want to talk about. He snapped his head back to me, his eyes angry and full of hate.

"I think we're done with the twenty questions today, don't you think?"

"I just want to get to know you more, since our date plans kinda fell apart…" I said in a small voice, angry at myself for bringing up what I was sure was a horrible memory.

Derek sighed as my focus fell to the dusty floor.

"I'm sorry about that. I got caught up with other things."

"I understand." I nodded.

"I wanna make it up to you." He told me earnestly.

"I'm sure you do." I muttered, watching a dust bunny fly across the floor. A rough, warm hand gently wrapped around my chin, forcing me to look into his soulful eyes.

He sighed again, debating for a moment on what he should say to make it up to me. "You can ask me one more question, anything you want. Just not about what happened to my family."

I nodded, knowing exactly what I wanted him to tell me.

"What happened tonight?"

Surprisingly, he barked out a chuckle. "Honestly, Cassie, you would ask the _one_ other question I can't tell you."

"Can't or wont?" I argued, jumping up as his hand fell. "You promised."

"I take it back," He told me, "Anything _but_ what happened to my family and what happened tonight."

"What can I ask you besides what happened tonight?" I huffed.

"What's my favorite color? What's my favorite kind of food? What do I do in my spare time? Easy." He joked but I couldn't find the humor in it. I wanted answers, not jokes.

"Those are basic boring questions. I want to know what happened tonight." I muttered mutinously. He shook his head, fighting a smile. "If I can't ask you what happened tonight, can you just listen to me talk about it?"

He sighed exasperatedly but nodded.

"You texted me to come to the school—" I started but he quickly interrupted.

"I never texted you."

I frowned, "Yes, you did," I took out my phone and showed him the message. He looked confused and appalled.

"I didn't send you this." His brows furrowed as a worried look covered his countenance.

"Then, who did?" I swallowed.

He seemed to be in deep concentration, mumbling things quietly, "...to lore you..."

"Lore me? What?" My voice cracked, "Lore me where? For who?"

"Nothing," He said regretfully, "Tell me what else you saw."

I did what he told me to do, hoping to get more out of him. "I got to the school to see the doors open and Stiles' jeep—" I stopped, feeling squeamish. There was no way I could tell him this story without letting him know I knew those kids.

"You know Stiles?" He interrogated, "How?"

Derek knew Stiles, too? I wanted to ask him the same question but I knew I was the one in trouble here. The cat was out of the bag, now. If I wanted answers, I was going to have to tell Derek the whole truth. If I wanted to have any kind of relationship with him, I had to be fully honest with Derek. If I was honest with him, hopefully, in turn, he would return the favor.

"If I'm going to even scratch the surface on what happened tonight, I need to tell you something." I cleared my throat, "Derek, I—the truth is—I don't work at the hospital." I said quickly, my cheeks reddening.

"What?" He asked loudly, not comprehending.

"I—I'm only—_Jesus_…" I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck uncomfortably, "I'm only sixteen…" I mumbled so quickly that I hoped he didn't hear. He had, however, and his eyes widened. He stood up himself, furious.

"What the hell do you mean you're only sixteen?" He said lowly. I looked sheepishly at the ground.

"Well, you never asked how old I was…you just assumed. So, _technically_, I never said I wasn't sixteen…" I gulped. He laughed harshly, pacing around the room.

"I'm sorry, Derek," I whispered, "I just wanted you to talk to me…to like me…I—I really like you and I don't know why I did it…I should have been honest from the beginning...God, I'm so _stupid_!" I rambled incoherently, unable to stop the tears. I felt dumb and childish, (which would probably just infuriate Derek further) but I had put myself out there, something I hadn't done in years. I moved around too much to make connections and here I was, foolishly hoping Derek would be different. I was wrong.

"I should go." I said weakly, "Here." I quickly fumbled out of his jacket. "You don't have to worry about this, Derek. You won't see me again." I threw his warm jacket on the bed and stormed out the door. I practically ran down the stairs but somehow Derek caught up with me.

He grabbed my arm, pull me back to face him. Our faces were inches away from each other. "No," He said plainly.

"No?" I sniffed, confused.

"No! You can't just leave after just dropping something that big on me!" He said frantically.

"Don't you want to me leave?" I whispered, trying to look away but his hurting eyes kept me there.

"Why would I want that?" He whispered, looking shocked with himself, as well as me.

"Because I'm just a kid." I confessed, "You don't know me, Derek. You can easily end things now and not give me a second thought."

"But it's not that easy!" His warm breath beating my face. "I _do_ know you, Cassie. And, God knows why, I don't want to give up on this! I can't walk away…"

"Why?" I whispered, marveled by his unsuspected words.

He didn't seem to have a response to that. My eyes fell to his lips for the second time tonight. They were merely inches away, inviting me in. My tongue dabbed my own lips as I looked back up at his eyes, begging he'd answer my question.

"Would you believe that for once in my life I don't have a rational explanation?" Before I could respond his lips were on mine once again. My heart fluttered uncontrollably in my chest as my hands swung around his neck, pulling myself in further. Derek's arms wrapped around my back as we kissed hungrily for a few moments before his hands began to roam. I gasped a bit as his warm hands pulled the side of my shirt up a little, caressing my bare skin.

He pulled away briefly, looking at me with concern, "What's wrong?"

I grinned wildly, pushing my lips back onto his for round two. I didn't really know what I was doing but it felt right. We started moving towards the wall and I felt my back hit it lightly. Derek grabbed my leg and without thinking I hopped up, straddling him. I had no idea what was getting into me. This was all going so fast but I didn't want to stop. I _couldn't_.

Derek walked me back up the stairs effortlessly. We didn't break apart again until we were back in his room. He set me down and it was as if some sexually confident woman had temporarily possessed my body. I glanced up at Derek's eyes, smiling seductively before pushing him backwards lightly onto his bed. He looked shocked as I crawled over him, clasping my lips against his again. His tongue slipped in as I tugged at his shirt. He allowed me to pull it off with little difficulty. My eyes lingered a bit on his abs, they almost looked photo shopped. He propped his body up a bit and I noticed a black tattoo with three swirl-like objects on his nicely toned back.

We kissed passionately for a few more minutes until nothing was between us but our underwear. He pulled back again, his eyes looking so vulnerable that I was almost afraid to go any further.

"Maybe we should—" He started.

"Do you want me?" I interrupted, feelings embarrassed as soon as the words left my lips. His eyes flickered down my body, his own pale cheeks flushing a bit.

"Of course, I just think this is going really fast." He swallowed, trying to hide the shakiness in his voice. "Are you _sure_ this is what you want?" He asked carefully.

I was unsure if he was asking himself or me that question. I nodded fervently, knowing how reckless and stupid this was. I should have told him I agreed and stopped, like I was sure he wanted to. But I didn't, I wanted this. I wanted him. I wanted experience. I wanted _love_.

"Okay," He whispered and smashed his lips greedily up against mine.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>_Not my fav chapter, but I'd like to take this moment to thank all you nice reviewers. It means a lot that you think so fondly of my story! If you didn't like this one, I understand. The story reverts back to it's usual goodness(?) after this lame-o chapter. So, I promise it gets better. But, yeah, shanks again for being amazing (:_


	7. Regret

It was still dark when I jolted awake. Derek's muscled arm lay strewn over my naked chest. There were no clocks so I hadn't the faintest idea what the time was. All I knew was if I didn't leave now, I would be in big trouble.

Silently and stealthily, I rolled out of bed, allowing Derek's arm to drop softly. He moved his sleeping head over a little but seemed otherwise undisturbed. I stood there for a few seconds longer than necessary, just drinking in his gorgeous appearance. The moonlight danced along his face. He looked so peaceful that I wished whatever he was dreaming of would come true.

I felt embarrassed as I quickly threw on my clothes, even if Derek wasn't awake to witness it. I had no idea what had gotten into me, however long ago _it_ had taken place. I had always imagined that my first time would be magical and amazing with someone I loved. All I felt was a pain. Derek taking my virginity hadn't been magical, it had hurt and I was probably bleeding on my underwear.

Hurriedly, I tossed on the shirt Derek had taken out for me earlier and ran for the door. As quietly as I could, I stepped down the stairs and made a run for it. I wasn't sure how to get home from anywhere but the school so I headed back there.

* * *

><p>I knew something was wrong the second I arrived at the scene. It was eerily quiet for a few moments. That was until I heard the sirens.<p>

In the distance, flashing red and blue lights quickly made their way toward me. All I could think about was Allison and if she was okay or not as I sprinted towards the door. It was still propped open from when I had been there hours previously.

"Allison!" I screamed, the halls blurred as I ran through them, "Allison, where are you?"

My cries echoed noisily around the school walls but I received no feedback. I arrived at the stairs and took them three at a time, wincing. Maybe such vigorous activities weren't recommended after sex.

"Allison!" I begged, searching the English halls, peaking into each door for a second and taking off.

I heard a commotion downstairs and a small familiar voice from the adjacent hall.

"Here! We're locked in the school! _Help us_!" It was Lydia. I swiftly followed the echo but soon realized they weren't calling for me. The large window by the stairs was blinking with strobe lights of reds and blues: the police were here.

I heard muffled voices calling out orders below. Lydia and the others were still crying to be rescued. I followed them and was led to a door in the science hall. Reaching out a shaky hand, I jimmied the handle, but to no avail. Examining the handle, I noticed there was something stuck in the key hole.

"It's Cassie!" Stiles' voice practically screamed. Half a second passed and four familiar faces were fighting to see through the small rectangular window.

"Cassie!" Allison shrieked with delight, "How did you find us?"

"What the hell happened, you guys?" I cried with unusual bluntness. Tonight had been one crazy, confusing, hell of a night. I had the right to ask that question since Derek kept ignoring it. Allison would tell me. She would never keep secrets from me (even if I was keeping them from her).

None of them seemed to be able to answer my question. Apparently this kind of stuff wasn't the norm in Beacon Hills.

There was the squeaking of boots behind me and flashlights bounced off the ceiling and walls.

"Over here!" I called and about a dozen men seemed to appear out of nowhere. They were all outfitted in black like some covert ops troop. I felt extremely anxious being surrounded by so many men with big lethal guns.

"Miss, I'm going to have to ask you to step aside with your hands up." The man in front said in a muffled deep voice. I nodded, trembling from head to foot. I probably looked like I was having some sort of seizure as I raised my flailing hands and scooted jerkily to the side.

One of the others put his gun away and started patting me down. If I hadn't been so petrified, I would have asked him if this was necessary. I was the one who had called out to them in the first place.

"_One, two, three_!" The same voice called again and a large, black battering ramp collided with the wooden door, shattering it on the first attempt.

* * *

><p>I sat in the back of an ambulance, a blanket tightly covering my freezing body. All I had on was Derek's t-shirt and a pair of old jeans. Derek's jacket was back with its rightful owner.<p>

Everything that had gone down tonight replayed in my mind, giving me an exhausting headache.

It was chaos. I couldn't imagine spending my Saturday in a worse fashion. Our parents had been called and I knew I was beyond grounded. I hadn't been with Allison this whole time and my parents would want to know why. How do you tell your parents you were off hooking up with some twenty-two year old when you were supposed to be hanging with Allison and her friends?

And Lord knows what I was going to tell the police:

_'Well, you see, officer. I stumbled upon the scene a few hours ago because I got a text that I thought was from my boyfriend but it turned out it wasn't. I saw blood. Blindly, I rushed into the school and some _thing_ attacked me. Then, Derek Hale came to my rescue with blood all over him. He took me to his house and we had sex and I forgot all about the fate of my friends.'_

Yeah, I could see _that_ conversation going well. But what else was I supposed to tell the police? I couldn't lie. That was a federal offense!

Guilt and dread filled every portion of my mind. All I wanted to do was fall asleep and forget this whole night had happened. I regretted what I did with Derek now more than I had an hour ago. The longer I had to sit and stew over it, the deeper the regret ate at me. I should have waited. I should have been here with my friends. With Allison.

I couldn't believe how foolish and absentminded I had been. I had a nasty feeling in the pit of my stomach that there were going to be future consequences for what I had done tonight. There was no proof or concrete evidence, but I just knew I was going to pay dearly for this. Karma was not on my side.

One thing I had decided was that I was going to stay away from Derek Hale. He was no good for me. He made me make bad decisions. I regretted ever meeting him. I regretted letting him into me life. I regretted falling so hard and fast for him. I was living a childish fairy tale that we could be together, happily ever after.

I was thinking this all, supposing that he would _want_ to keep in contact with me. There was a greater (and more likely) chance that he wouldn't give me another thought, that he had regretted it just as much as I had. Maybe he had just used me for sex. Derek didn't seem like that kind of guy, but then again, I didn't know Derek Hale. I pretended I did. I had convinced myself that I understood him, but I was wrong. Derek Hale was a mystery that shouldn't be unraveled. Not by me. I had decided, from here on out, I was going to be blissfully ignorant.

_'Let's see how long _that_ last.'_ A sneering voice muttered in my head. That voice was probably right, but I had to at least try. For the sake of my sanity.

"Cassie?" Allison's voice called tentively. I looked up at her with shocked wide eyes. I hadn't heard her come up. "Hey, Cassie."

I tried to smile but my muscles weren't cooperating. "Hi, Alli."

"Can I sit with you?" Her brown eyes look so vulnerable. They reminded me of Derek's soulful ones. His voice asking, _'Are you sure?'_ kept intruding my mind block. This wasn't going to be easy.

I scooted over, patting on the now-vacant spot. Allison hopped in, pulling my blanket around her as well.

"So," Allison started after long pause. "This was an eventful night."

I let out a humorless laugh. She didn't know the half of it. Or…maybe she did. Maybe _I_ didn't know the half of it.

"You can say that again," My voice came out all raspy. I cleared my throat of phlegm.

"What were you doing out here?" She said, playing with the ends up her hair, looking up at me through them.

I swallowed, my palms became sweaty. "Uh—Well—I got a text. It said to meet you guys here." Allison's eyes widened.

"Me too!" She quickly showed her message to me. "I thought it was Scott but he said…" Allison left off, looking like she was about to cry.

"What's wrong, Allison?" I asked alarmed. She shook her head, blinking away the tears.

"It's nothing. I'm fine." Allison responded in a thick voice, looking up at the starry sky.

"Obviously it's not. _You're_ not fine." I argued.

She sighed deeply, "It's just, while we were in there, Scott—He just—Scott locked us in the room!"

"What?" I gasped. "Why would he do that? I'm sure he was just trying to protect you!" My mind flashed to the recent memory of his walking towards me, something was off about him.

"I don't know anymore," She sniffed; her eyes alight with fierce emotion, "He was lying the whole time we were in there. I just don't know about him anymore. I can't trust him…"

I shook my head in disbelief. I hadn't known Scott very long, but he seemed like a stand up guy. He treated Allison like a queen and worshiped the ground she stood on. Why would he suddenly lie to her, endanger her?

"I'm sure there's a perfect explanation for all of this," I said quietly, pulling her in for a hug as she let out a hard-suppressed sob.

"I just don't know anymore," She repeated through her tears.

Now I had to get involved. Something was going on in Beacon Hills, something supernatural. If it was hurting Allison, I had to find out what it was. Scott was obviously hiding something and I was going to find out what his secret was. I was going to fix this. And I was probably going to regret it.


	8. The Deal

We sat in an awkward silence on our way to school. Allison was in a mood again, the same mood she had been in all weekend. She stared at the back of her father's head, glaring, with her arms crossed tightly across her chest.

I was sitting behind our Aunt Kate in my Uncle Chris's black SUV. Kate seemed to have an odd sort of smirk on her face, like she had finally gotten something she wanted. My Uncle Chris held a grimace on his face that had been there since the incident at the school a few days ago. I had never seen him so angry when he came to pick us up. Kate, my dad, and Chris got in a heated argument when we arrived home and they thought Allison and I were asleep. We hadn't heard much but I heard Derek's name thrown around a few times and that worried me as much as it gave me butterflies.

I hadn't seen, nor spoken, to Derek since the night we had sex. I assumed that wasn't going to change anytime soon and I was glad for it.

It was no secret that Chris didn't want us to go to school today. He and Allison had gotten into a screaming match over it this morning. After the break up between Allison and Scott, she had been a little emotionally unstable.

We arrived at the school as the warning bell rang. Kids scurried towards the doors, not wanting to be tardy. Allison grabbed the handle only to discover that Chris had yet to unlock it.

"Dad," She said dangerously. I caught Kate's eye briefly, feeling the tension rising again. I had half a mind to tell Allison to calm the fuck down but I didn't want her to stab me. She really wasn't taking this break up well….

"_Dad._" Allison repeated, clucking her tongue impatiently.

"What's your opinion on home school?" Chris questioned Kate.

Kate sighed, twitching in her seat. Her signature smirk clad on her face, "I'm more of a learning by doing kinda gal."

"What's your opinion on overprotective dads who ruin their daughter's lives?" Allison shot back. Kate chuckled, reaching over Chris's body to the door. She pushed down the unlock button.

Hearing a click, we were released from the car. Allison huffed and hopped out of the car the second it was unlocked. I carefully opened my door and grabbed my bag. Just as I was about to shut the door, Chris stopped me with a concerned look on his face.

"Tell Allison I'll pick you both up at two-thirty sharp." He told me sternly before his face softened, "And be careful, Cassie."

What _exactly_ was I supposed to be careful of?

* * *

><p>"I can't believe this," Lydia said in her high pitched voice, "All anyone's talking about is what happened on Saturday and no one knows that it was us."<p>

Allison, Jackson, and I glanced around the cafeteria, knowing full well that this was true. The room was a buzz with rumors of what had 'gone down' that night. They were all complete lies. I had heard some lacrosse players gossiping about a drug deal gone bad. A gaggle of girls that sat near me and Jackson in History had whispered all about a showdown of vampires.

"How very _Twilight_," Jackson had commented with an eye roll, smirking as usual.

I couldn't help but chuckle in response. He glanced over at me with a twinkle in his eye, looking accomplished. Immediately, I glanced back at the teacher and went back to writing notes.

Lydia's voice brought me back, "Thank you for the protection of minors!"

"I just hope they lock Derek away for a _very_ long time. That psychopath…." Jackson scowled furiously.

I shot my gaze to Jackson's face, "What did you say?"

Lydia and Jackson exchanged confused glances, then peering back at me to make me feel like I was crazy.

"What do you mean?" Lydia questioned.

"Derek who?" I gulped.

"Hale?" Jackson answered, "You were there, Cass. Don't you remember this?"

"I left as soon as my uncle and dad came! I didn't talk to the police. No one told me about this…" I felt panic arise in my voice. My face was heating up, but not in the good way that Derek had made it.

"Are you feeling all right, Cassie?" Lydia asked, worried, probably for my sanity.

Jackson made to place his hand on my forehead but I swatted it away, "Tell me _exactly_ what happened that night when you entered the school." I demanded.

"Well," Jackson started, looking startled by my abrasive behavior. "Scott sent Allison a text saying to meet him at the school—"

"This was after he was a half a freaking hour late for our double date." Lydia interrupted, disgusted.

Jackson rolled his eyes, continuing as if Lydia wasn't there, "—and when we arrived the doors were open, Stiles' crappy jeep was broken into…" He stopped thinking something over with slight fear in his eyes. "When Allison didn't come back, we headed inside for her…" He stopped again, the fear more prominent on his face. I could see him replaying something in his head. Jackson glanced over at Lydia who appeared to have lost interest in this conversation and was trying to engage in one with Allison. "I saw something that night…." He didn't seem to have words to describe what he saw. Maybe it was the same thing I saw, and, in that case, I wasn't sure how to put it in words either.

"I saw something, too," I said in a low voice, "Something big, maybe a cougar?—I don't know…."

Jackson's face flooded with some relief, "I thought I was going crazy! But I saw something else—I saw a person standing by a door by the bathrooms. At least, I thought it was a person….It was too far away for me to get a good look at their face. I guess it was Derek because who else could it be?"

_Derek_. There his name was again, being dropped like a bomb. My heart sped up every time I heard his name like some silly school girl with a crush. I had decided I was over him that night at the school; I just needed my heart to realize that.

And why was everyone blaming Derek for what happened at the school? I knew for a fact that it wasn't Derek. He had saved me from whatever it _really_ was and then had spent the night with me. He was still at home sleeping when I left and whoever was trapping them inside the school was still there. Why was Derek being framed for a crime he didn't commit? Who had said it was him in the first place?

"Anyway," Jackson shook his head, "I could feel that Derek was watching me. I called out to him—this is where it gets really weird—he just kinda fell to the floor and walked away on all fours…." He looked unsettled as he said it, as if he still couldn't believe what he'd seen himself.

"He walked away on his hands and knees?" I asked incredulously.

Jackson shook his head, "On hands and feet, like some sort of…dog. But a _huge_ dog."

"Like a wolf?" The words came out of my mouth without really being processed. Jackson looked shocked by my statement.

"Y-Yeah," He nodded slowly, "_Exactly_ like a wolf." The conversation seemed to be over. Jackson was in deep thought, glancing over at Scott (who was no longer allowed to sit with us, apparently) with a strange expression on his face, like he was finally figuring something out.

I had one more question, though. "How do you know it was Derek?"

Without glancing back at me, Jackson replied in a distant voice, "It was Scott. Scott told us."

_Scott_? Why would Scott make up something like that? Did Derek and Scott even know each other? What the _hell_ was going on in Beacon Hills?

Lydia was, as usual, blissfully oblivious to what was going on around her as she kept trying to engage Allison in a conversation about the upcoming dance.

Allison nodded at whatever Lydia was asking but I didn't think she was actually listening. Her eyes, like Jackson's, were locked on the back of Scott's head.

Stiles and Scott were sitting across the cafeteria, as far away from our table as possible. That was a side effect of their break up, we could no longer hang out, or speak, or look at each other. It was a shame because I had really come to like them. Stiles was funny and Scott was sweet and madly in love with Allison.

Allison was miserable without Scott and the way he looked today (angry and exhausted), I knew he needed her back as well. I remember how happy Allison had been when I'd arrived two weeks ago. She was basically glowing with love for the kid and now she was pissy and melancholic.

It probably wasn't my place but I still had to figure out what had _really_ gone done that night at the school. I'd seen something—some sort of beast—and Jackson had seen the same thing too. I wasn't sure who I should tell about my findings. Mostly, because I wasn't totally sure what I (and Jackson) had seen. I didn't want people to think I'd lost my marbles. Also, I didn't know who I could trust with this kind of information.

Allison had revealed to me that Scott was acting strange. I had seen something that caused me to believe her whole heartedly. Before Derek had rescued me, Scott was coming at me. Though I couldn't see him, I knew _something_ was off. And now I know that Scott was blaming Derek for trapping them in the school, for killing the janitor.

I had gone over that night a million times over in my head and I still had no idea what I was really seeing. Derek was hiding something from me too; he had been there that night with a bad wound that healed inhumanly fast. But talking to him was out of the question. If we were going to speak again, he would have to come find me (though I secretly hoped he wouldn't).

That left Scott and Stiles. I couldn't walk over to their table with Allison watching me. She would wonder what I was up to and I couldn't tell her just yet. But, I need to have a talk with Scott. I have a feeling he knows more than he's letting on.

Scott probably wasn't going to tell me so I needed to find a way around his walls.

The wheels were creaking noisily in my mind as a plan began to form. A plan that would get Allison and Scott back together and give me the information I needed to figure out what was happening in Beacon Hills.

All I needed was a little help in the form of a certain Stiles.

* * *

><p>Fortunately, I had my last class of the day with Stiles. Unfortunately, Jackson was also in that class and he rarely let me out of his sight or stopped bragging about his lacrosse accomplishments.<p>

A stroke of luck fell upon me when Jackson had gotten into a milk drinking competition at lunch. One more thing he could brag to me about. But with all that extra milk in his bladder, he had to leave for a bathroom break, giving me the perfect opportunity to speak with Stiles.

As soon as Jackson had disappeared from view, I slipped away to the other side of the classroom.

"Stiles," I muttered, standing behind his group of friends, mostly nerdy boys but some of them I recognized from the lacrosse team. They glanced up at me, stunned. A red headed boy choked a bit on his water. A few of the lacrosse boys gave me wide, friendly grins (a little too friendly).

"C-Cassie!" Stiles exclaimed, just as surprised as some of his nerdier friends, "Hey! What's up?" His voice was a little loud and slightly over-enunciated. I could tell he was a bit uncomfortable.

"Can I talk to you for a moment?" I asked, giving an apologetic smile to his friends.

"Yeah!" Stiles nodded rapidly, "Sure thing!"

His friends exchanged meaningful looks, like this conversation was going to lead to sex in the back of the room.

I turned around and bit my lip, walking to a corner of the room that was less crowed then everywhere else. Stiles followed close behind.

When I was sure we were out of hearing range, I dropped my proposal.

Stiles opened his mouth to say something but kept closing it. I waited patiently for his reply.

"You—You want _me_ to help you get Scott and Allison back together?"

I nodded, "You weren't there this weekend—well—at least not with Allison. She was a wreck and a mess and I'm worried about her. I'm sure you feel the same about Scott, he's your best friend, just like Allison is mine."

Stiles thought this over, he knew I was right but something seemed to be stopping him from admitting it.

"Fine," He sighed, "I'll help."

I smiled gratefully, "Good, I wa—"

"On one condition." Stiles interjected.

I placed a hand on my hip, tilting my head to the side a bit, "And what is this request of yours?"

"Well, the dance is coming up…"

"The Winter Formal?" I questioned. I'd seen the posters and advertisement all over school. Plus, Lydia was in charge of the whole thing and when she wasn't making out with Jackson she was venting about how incompetent the Leadership crew was at planning.

"Yes, and I was wondering—well, what I want is—if you could—" Stiles stumbled over his words, wringing his hands nervously. I would have laughed if I hadn't been worried about what Stiles was asking me.

Sure, Stiles was a sweetheart and could easily make me laugh (and he wasn't too bad looking himself), but I just wasn't into him that way. Maybe it was because I couldn't stop thinking about Derek or that I needed to focus on my family situation right now instead of having a boyfriend. Either way, Stiles wasn't someone I could see myself dating.

"I just don't—would you—what I'm trying to say is—" Stiles kept on blundering before I stopped him, putting him out of his misery.

"Stiles, this is really sweet and all but I'm not even sure if I'm going to the dance…" I said softly.

Stiles' eyes widened dramatically as he threw his hands up in the air as if to stop me. "_No_! Oh, no!" He laughed uncomfortably. "I wasn't asking—actually I wondering if you could get _Lydia_ to come with me…"

"Oh!" I let out a relieved chuckled, "I thought that you were asking me! That's—" I didn't really know how to respond. I couldn't say that was much better since Lydia was dating Jackson who didn't seem too fond of Stiles. I wasn't even sure how I could casually ask Lydia something like this when she didn't seem to know Stiles existed. I had no idea how I was going to make good on my part but I needed Stiles' help. The dance was a perfect opportunity to get Allison and Scott back together. And I really needed to get closer to Stiles and Scott if I wanted to find out their secret. "Okay. _I_ will get Lydia to go to the formal with you as long as _we_ can get Allison and Scott to go together. _Deal_?" I put out my hand for him to shake.

Stiles grinned broadly he grasped my hand, "Deal."


	9. Visiting Hours

It was Thursday night at Beacon Hills Long-Term Hospital, my first day back after the horrific events of last weekend. It was also the night that Derek would visit his uncle. I had long since given up on doing math homework and was now tapping my foot impatiently, half hoping he wouldn't show.

I sighed agitatedly, watching the clock tick by painfully slow. There was only five more minutes left in visiting hours so his window was closing fast. I stood up quickly, starting to pace, unsure of how this conversation was going to play out if he did show up.

We needed to talk about how we had sex, that was a given. I also had devised a meticulous plan to get Derek to tell me about what was going on in this town. This plan was devious and, if it came to it, there would be some seducing. Although, I hoped it didn't come to that.

"Cassie," A deep, graveling voice called softly. The breath I was taking in choked in my throat; my well thought out plan flew swiftly out of my mind.

"D-Derek," I stumbled mindlessly over my words. What was wrong with me? "You need to sign in." I shoved the clip board toward him. In my nervousness I pushed it too far and it dropped over the edge. "Not again." I muttered under my breath. Derek bent over but I could have sworn there was a ghost of a smirk upon his thin lips.

But, when Derek set the clip board back on the desk, lightly pushing it back, and shaking his head, he looked stoic, his eyes cold and distant. "I'm not here for my uncle."

I gulped, feeling the heat rise to my face, like every other time I was around Derek.

"What can I do you for?" I pushed a stray hair behind my ear, my eyes darting around the room, praying that my boss would come relieve me.

Derek gave me a stern look when I glanced back at him. His bright blue eyes seemed to be x-raying my entire body and, possibly, soul. "I think we should talk."

I nodded, swallowing with some difficulty. "I agree."

"About Saturday…" He seemed ashamed, probably about me.

"I'm sorry." I blurted. It was reflex. Whenever my parents started to scold or punish me, I always apologized immediately. I really hated conflict.

Derek seemed taken aback by my instant response. "I—What?"

"What the hell happened that night, Derek?" I said so quietly that even I could barely hear myself.

Derek sighed agitatedly, turning his head away from me like I was something indecent to look at.

"Derek," I stressed, all the emotion and anger I'd bottled up were unleashed. "You were hurt, _badly_. And—And you just healed within minutes! And what was that—that _thing_ that was at the school. That was no mountain lion. That was a huge, brown _wolf_!"

Derek cringed, though I was unsure why. I had managed to keep my harsh words at a whisper, not alerting anyone to his presence.

"It was a mistake." He answered in a calm low voice. "You were a mistake."

"W—What—What are you talking?" I blubbered. He wasn't the one who got to say it was all a mistake. That was supposed to be my part in this. Derek was supposed to tell me all I needed to know about Saturday and forget about the sex.

"What happened, with us," His thick, dark brows furrowed, "I'm sorry I led you on like that. I was just lonely and it had been awhile."

My jaw dropped, hardly believing my ears. He seemed so monotone, so rehearsed. But all I could register was that I had been used. My eyes quickly welled up with burning tears that I prayed wouldn't fall, giving away how hurt and broken I was. This hadn't been how I pictured this conversation going.

"You _poor_ thing." I laughed without a hint of humor, "I hope my virginity was good enough for that long break you'd had. If only I had known it had been so long, maybe I would have given myself up to you sooner! Sorry if it was disappointing, not up to your high standards. But, I hear you loud and clear and I couldn't agree more. I don't _ever_ want to see you again, Derek Hale." I spat, shoving my possessions back in my backpack with more force than necessary. I didn't care that my shift wasn't over, I was leaving.

"Cassie," Derek started, his whole voice changed, it was softer now, but I ignored him as the intercom suddenly went off.

"_Cassidy Argent, please report to the front desk. Cassidy Argent, please report to the front desk_." I let out a sigh of relief, realizing I had a reason to leave Derek without embarrassing myself by running away.

"Goodbye—" I said coldly, glaring up at where Derek had been. But he was gone, vanished into thin air. I took a deep, shaky breath, collecting myself to see what Nurse McCall needed. I could cry about the reality of love and sex later.

I heard a large crash as I packed up my belongings. Alerted by the noise, I swiftly made my way to the sliding doors that led outside of the Long-Term ward. As I turned the corner, something crunched underneath my sneakers. I glanced down to see tiny pieces of glass decorating the red, swirl patterned carpet. Feeling fear rise in my throat, I peered cautiously around the corner and gasped.

The glass doors had been shattered as if someone had rammed into them. But that was impossible. They were reinforced double paned windows that could probably only be broken into by a bulldozer or tank.

The moonlight gleamed through the shards of glass still attached to the frame. I could see that outline of something in the glass, the thing that had broken through it. Horrified, I slowly inched toward the door, noticing some hair and blood on the jagged pieces sticking out. Reaching out a shaky hand, I tugged on the hair. It was short, brown, and coarse. This wasn't hair, it was fur.

A sick feeling arose in the pit of my stomach as I watched the crimson liquid fall to the floor.

"_Cassidy Argent, please report to the front desk. Cassidy Argent, please report to the front desk._" That cool voice called again.

As I turned to leave and tell Nurse McCall about this strange incident, I heard something that made all the hair on my body stand up straight, chilling me to the bone. A howl, like the one I'd heard Saturday, broke through the night. I could have sworn that everything froze in that moment. My breath was almost visible in the cold night.

Suddenly, footsteps echoed behind me.

"Hey, Cassie, I've been calling you for the past ten minutes. What's—_Oh my God_!" Nurse McCall gasped, seeing the unsettling scene before me. "What happened here? Are you okay?" She glanced at me with concern.

I nodded slowly, terrified. "I think it was that mountain lion…." I said, slight hysteria in my timid voice.

Nurse McCall kindly sat me down, worried for my wellbeing. She checked my eyes quickly for head trauma. I was probably just in shock. "Stay right here, I'm going to get some help."

* * *

><p>I sat still in that uncomfortable chair, obeying Nurse McCall. I stayed in that chair when the police came, questioning me about what had happened and collecting evidence. I only moved when my parents came and took me home. They were worried sick about me, as they had the right to be.<p>

It was the second attack of that mythical mountain lion in the past week. And for some reason, I didn't think it would be the last.

I kept the promise I made to myself after Derek left. I waited until I was alone in my room to let myself cry. The stress of moving, Derek, my parents, and having two close calls with whatever this _thing_ was that was wandering the streets of Beacon Hills, all streamed down my face in wet, salty tears. I wished I'd never met Derek Hale.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>_This marks the last of my prewritten chapters. In the process of writing the next one. Look out for that. For those of you who asked me to check out your _Teen Wolf_ stories, I'll do it as soon as I can! Pinky swear! (:_


	10. Movie Night

"So, what are we going to do tonight?" Allison asked excitedly.

Tonight was the first night in weeks that our parents had left us alone. The mysterious mountain lion hadn't attacked either of us for a while so we deemed it necessary that they go out and have a night to themselves. More a precaution then anything else, I was spending the night at Allison's house. Not that we minded. We were planning a girls' night.

"I'm hungry." I mumbled, hearing my stomach growl.

"You're always hungry." Allison snorted. She trotted into the kitchen and peered into the cabinet, pushing things aside until she found what she was looking for. She turned around swiftly, and blue box of macaroni and cheese sitting deliciously in her palm.

"Yes," I immediately replied, my mouth watering. She laughed, putting on a pot of water.

"Besides stuffing our faces with food, what are we going to do?" Allison asked, her voice slightly muffled as she went about gathering ingredients.

"Movie?" I suggested.

Allison nodded, "Something romantic and heart wrenching."

"It's like you read my mind." I grinned. It faded slightly as my mind wandered to the forbidden topic of Derek. It had been weeks since I'd seen him last. My dad had been furious that the hospital had me working the empty Long-Term portion of the hospital without any security and now I was stuck filing paper work in Nurse McCall's nice secure office space.

"How about you run out to the video store, grab us some extra buttery popcorn, Dr. Pepper, Twizzlers, and the sappy movie of your choice while I make dinner?" Allison asked, glancing in the pot of water that hadn't started boiling yet.

I nodded, grabbing my keys off the green tiled counter. "Be back in ten." I shouted as I hurried out the door.

My iPod played some soft indie band as I drove toward my destination. Within minutes I had arrived and that's when I started to feel a bit sick. It hadn't been the first time. I had been getting dizzy spells and nauseous for the past two weeks. It was just from the stress of moving and the impending attack of that mountain lion, along with the flu that was going around.

I pushed open my car door, taking a deep breath of the clean Beacon Hill's air, instantly feeling better. The sound of slamming my door shut sounded like a bullet shooting through the night. Embarrassingly, I let out a tiny scream. I was constantly on edge after my near death experiences. I hoped that the police would catch whatever was terrorizing the town (mountain lion or mutant wolf beast) soon because I was slowly losing my sanity.

"Cass?" I heard a familiar voice call as well as another car door shut. I glanced behind me to see none other than the captain of the lacrosse team, Jackson Whittemore.

"Hey, Jackson," I greeted, smiling slightly. Honestly, I was happy to have some company in the quiet, seemingly empty video store.

He held up the metal door for me. I heard the faint tingle of the welcome bell as I slid through, quietly thanking him. There was a slight smell of something rotting in the air but I decided against pointing it out to Jackson. It was probably just the garbage sitting in the store too long.

"So, all alone on a Saturday night?" Jackson asked, pretending to be interested in the sci-fi movies we passed by.

"No," I shook my head, "Girls' night with Alli. What about you? Movie date with Lydia?"

Jackson rolled his eyes, grumbling, "Yes,"

I felt a small smile tug at my lips, though I was careful not to let it show. "What movie is she making you watch this time?"

"_The Notebook_." He sighed exasperatedly. "I _hate_ that movie."

"I'm not such a big fan of that one either. Personally, I'm a _Titanic_ kind of girl." And suddenly I knew what movie Allison and I were going to watch tonight.

Jackson snorted, taking a stroll further down the teen fantasy love section.

"_The Notebook_'s not down there. _Twilight_ is, if your interested in that," I joked mildly, enjoying the grimace on his face.

I led the way to where the classic romance movies were located. The light directly to the right of the designated section was hanging by its wires, as if someone who had been changing it had been interrupted and never came back to finish the job.

"Does something feel…_off_ to you?" I questioned suspiciously. Jackson glanced around as realization suddenly hit.

"There are people at a video store instead of using Netflix or Red Box like every other sensible person?" He said sarcastically.

"Ha ha," I answered before hearing something creak. "Did you hear that?"

"Maybe it's the mountain lion, come to finish you off!" He said spookily. He glanced around, pretending to be terrified.

"You're real funny, Jackson," I glared, shoving his movie at his chest.

"I'd like to think so," He grinned, clearly pleased with himself. I started to walk off towards the dangling light. "_Hey!_ Cass, I was only kidding! Don't be mad." He apologized, hot on my trail.

I peered up at the dangling light. There was a ladder tumbled over underneath it; a few of the movies a strewn along the floor. It looked like there had been an altercation not too long ago.

"That's weird." I muttered.

"_Oh my God_," Jackson gasped. "He's _dead_!"

"_Very funny_, Jackson. You're a real comedian. Shut up already," I growled, sick of his antics.

I felt Jackson's warm arm tug me around. A shaky finger pointed to the corpse of the man who had been interrupted while replacing the light. His neck had been ripped open; blood was spilled all over his hideous orange uniform, as well as the old grey carpet.

_"Holy shit,"_ I whispered, glancing around in a panic. "We need to get outta here!"

Jackson's attention was elsewhere as I felt sick again. This time a deep breath didn't fix it. The rancid smell of the blood and decomposing body was too much. I doubled over, puking my last meal all over the ground.

"Cass!" Jackson cried. But, before I could look up or reply, he snatched me up and started dragging me along. I heard a loud growl echo through the empty, dark space as a few more lights went out.

Jackson and I sat behind a large display case for some new werewolf movie starring Josh Hutcherson. Normally, the only thing I could smell would be the cologne Jackson wore too much of, but now, the only thing my nostrils detected was the dead body. I rolled away from Jackson's body, vomiting again.

"Cass," His voice barely audible, "Are you okay?"

I shook my head, convulsing.

So many things happened at once that I couldn't comprehensively process them all. The shelves of movies began falling down like dominoes. The videos flew everywhere as I heard that sinister growl again. Jackson reached out for me but missed, causing a large wooden shelf to land on me, lashing my temple open. My strangled scream faltered under a horrendous howl. Through my tears I could see that Jackson was trapped under a much larger shelf, bleeding as well. The painful look on his countenance made it obvious that he couldn't help me.

But I screamed for help anyway. I felt something grab the bottom of my yoga pants, thrusting me out from under the wall of movies. _"Jackson!"_

_"Cassie! Run!"_ He called. His was becoming more feint as I was dragged further into the body of the store. I struggled, flailing the appendages that didn't hurt too much to move.

"Let go of me!" I shrieked. As if it had understood me, I was released. I tried scrambling away but was in too much pain to go far. Something soft nudged me so I was lying in the supine position. Another blood curling scream flew from my trembling lips as I saw the creature before me.

It was unlike anything I'd ever seen before. Menacing red eyes glared down upon my frightened face. Coarse black fur covered its gigantic body that was the size of small van. There were scars on the left side of its face, like it had been burned, and smelled faintly of dirt and blood. This was no mountain lion.

With quick realization, I understood that this was what I had seen a little over a month ago at the school. It was what had attacked us at the school.

Everything in that moment amplified. I could hear Jackson's heart beat erratically in his chest, his rough breathing echoed in my ears as if he was right next to me instead of half way across the room. My ears picked up the soft pounding of the wolf's heart. I could almost smell the adrenaline pouring through it's veins and the fear dripping off of Jackson.

"Cass?" Jackson called again after a few moments of eerie silence. He couldn't see us and I was no longer crying out for help or squirming away.

The wolf's red eyes gleamed. With the adrenaline coursing through my body, it was hard to tell if it pulled up his lips to smile and me. But that's what it looked like to me. It's body shook, letting out some strange noise that resembled a cackle.

I let out a whimper, the smell of some sort of cologne wafted through the air as the wolf leaned deeper onto me. It smelled expensive, like Jackson's, but much more subtle. It large, wet muzzle began to sniff adamantly at me as I swallowed the bile rising in my throat (I could somehow still smell the corpse). I didn't think it would hurt me. I could somehow sense it wouldn't. But that didn't stop the terror that shook my body.

Suddenly, it pulled away, as if it had gotten what it wanted. It began trotting over towards where Jackson lay trapped when I heard glass shatter; a soft red light blinked, a silent alarm had been triggered. There was a high pitched scream that came from outside and a deep, threatening growl. A familiar smell penetrated my nostrils. A heart wrenchingly familiar smell that I hadn't sniffed in weeks: Derek Hale.

How was that possible? How could Derek be here? He hadn't been seen in weeks. The police were looking for him; he reached the top of the Most Wanted list in California for Scott's lie about the event the school. And what would Derek be doing storming through windows for someone he didn't care about? My brain was overwhelmed with so many thoughts and scenarios that the idea that it probably wasn't Derek barely crossed it.

I was freaked out of my mind. Maybe this was some defense my brain was using to calm me down, knowing Derek made me feel safe. That seemed more probable than Derek coming to rescue. Seeing the wolf again had triggered that night in my mind where Derek had saved me. Now my brain was sending endorphins or hormones or something to calm me down. How pathetic.

"C-Cassie?" Jackson questioned again, unable to keep his voice from cracking. I was beyond words at this point. I raised my body, repositioning myself to see the new intruder, but they were hidden by fallen movie shelves. I heard the same growl and the wolf let out that chilling half-cackle.

Before I knew what was happening, the intruder tackled the wolf. Movies flew around again and within moments, the newcomer earned the upper hand and tossed the wolf out the window, following quickly in suit before I could even blink. I never caught a glimpse of my savior.

I lay there, listening to Jackson cry out for me, unable to move. I didn't want to. I had foolishly gotten my hopes up, wanting so badly for it to be Derek that had saved me. But it wasn't. It couldn't have been. Derek wasn't coming back and I had to learn to accept it.


	11. Sights And Smells

Jackson was yelling at Sheriff Stilinski. My coping method was shutting down, his was lashing out.

I had to get out of here before my parents found out that I was involved in yet another terrible incident. It was like I had become a magnet for all bad things that could possibly happen in Beacon Hills. Out of all the places I had lived, Beacon Hills was by far the most eventful (and painful).

I stood up abruptly, alerting Sheriff Stilinski of my presence again. "I want to go home." I told him calmly.

I didn't know if it was the fact that I wasn't lashing out at him like Jackson or that I seemed relatively stable, but either way, I got my wish. The sheriff still had an EMT check me out for head trauma but I came up clean. I was ordered to call someone because I wasn't supposed to drive in my condition. I may not have physical injuries but there was still the emotional trauma to deal with.

I walked off to a place I could call Allison in peace when I saw it. Off in the distance, about thirty houses down, I saw them. I saw Stiles and Scott lurking on a roof top. Bewildered, I watched them talk. It was miraculous that I could see that far, especially with the lack of light. There was a street lamp the building over from them but I could see them as clearly as if I was standing right next them. I had always had good vision, but this seemed a little _too_ good.

Stiles spoke with Scott while making quick glances at me until he stopped speaking completely. Scott glanced over at me, squinting before turning to Stiles and shaking his head. He mouthed something like, "Impossible," before turning back to me. Stiles began running back and forth on the top of the building and my gaze followed him. Startled, Scott beckoned him off the roof and they disappeared from my view.

I took off down the road, sneaking away from the scene at the movies. Running full speed I reached the building they had recently vacated within minutes. But, they were gone. Down the back alley, I watched Stiles' jeep speed away but from the light on the street I could tell there was only one body inside it. That meant Scott was somewhere else and Stiles was going home by himself. His dad would probably be at the crime scene for awhile so Stiles would truly be home alone, if that's where he was going in the first place.

I decided that this was my best chance of getting Stiles alone. Without Scott around, I could get Stiles to talk. Allison had told me where Stiles' lived once. He didn't live too far from Allison's so it wouldn't take me very long to get home from this slight detour.

Pulling out my phone again, I checked the time. I had only been gone an hour and missed three calls and four texts from Allison. Dialing her number, a sly plan formed in my mind.

"Cassie?" Allison breathed a sigh of relief when she answered my call, "Oh, thank god! Where are you?"

"Sorry, I got held up at the store. Jackson was there and you know how he gets…" I sighed exasperatedly.

Allison didn't seem entirely convinced, "He held you up for a whole hour?"

"Well, I had to get gas," I lied, "And then Jackson wanted to bitch at the guy at the movie store about what sports movie was the best. Then, he proceeded to tell me exactly how he was going to win state this year and finally Lydia came in and dragged him away. And you wouldn't believe who came in next, fighting over the _Titanic_ with me!" I laughed.

"Who?" Allison questioned suspiciously.

"Stiles!" I cried, "So, now I'm making a quick stop at his house because he needs my help with something. Then, I'll be home and we'll have our girls' night. Promise." I felt terrible lying to Allison but I could just tell she knew this was all bullshit.

"Okay," She said slowly. "But the waits gonna cost you."

"Alright," I laughed, strolling down the alley, making a shortcut back to Allison's neighborhood.

"And hurry up! Your foods getting cold!" She cried before hanging up the phone. I sighed, stuffing my phone back in my pocket and took off running again.

It took me longer to find Stiles' house that it normally would have. First off, I was on foot so that added another ten minutes to my trip. And then it was dark so I had to find my way into in unfamiliar neighborhood without the guide of sunlight. So after ten minutes of wandering around, I spotted Stiles' jeep sitting in a driveway. I prayed it was the correct house as I crossed its yard and slammed my fist against the door.

It took a few moments for Stiles' to answer and when he did he looked utterly shocked to see me.

"C-Cassie?" He stuttered, "What are you doing here?"

"What were you doing at the movie store tonight?" I cut straight to the chase.

"I—What—I wasn't—huh?" He rubbed the back of his head, shrugging his shoulders an excessive amount. This kid cracked easily under pressure.

"What were you doing at the movie store tonight?" I asked, slowly this time.

Stiles looked at me like a deer caught in headlights. I rolled my eyes and shoved my way into his house only to be repulsed by a repugnant smell.

_"Urgh!"_ I cried in disdain, throwing my arm over my nose to block out the smell. "What_ is_ that?"

"W-What?" Stiles looked around wildly. "What?"

"That—That smell!" I felt my gag reflexes acting up again. "It smells like cat urine. Don't you clean up after your cats?"

"I—I just clean it up today!" He defended. "And it's in the back by the garage! How can you smell it? I don't smell anything!" He said, shocked.

I shook my head, stepping back, "I'm gonna puke again." I felt dizzy as Stiles leapt out of his house and caught me.

"Are—Are you okay?" He asked worriedly.

I shook my head again, "Just take me home. Let's talk in your car." I muttered, feeling a cold sweat coming on. Stiles seemed hesitant to be in a small space with me after almost puking but he obliged.

He helped me in the jeep and I placed my forehead on the cold window after he shut the door. Stiles hopped in the driver's seat and the jeep roared to life. He kept glancing over at me like I was going to croak right then and there.

"Are you okay?" He asked again, "Do I need to take you to a hospital?"

I shook my head, "No, I'm okay now." I sat back in the seat and glanced over at Stiles. "What were you doing there?"

Stiles furrowed his brow, thinking hard about something. He seemed to be thinking of something else besides my question.

"Stiles," I said impatiently. "Did you hear—?"

"How did you see us?" He cut across me. "We were a good half a mile away. You were looking straight at Scott and me like you could see us as clear as day."

I frowned, "Because I could."

"But, _how_?" He stressed.

"I have good vision."

"And smell," He muttered before his eyes lit up and he looked over at me in alarm. "This is going to sound _really_ crazy—insane even—but have you been bitten by anything lately? Like—like a dog or a—a—something...?" He rambled.

"What?" I asked confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Have you been bitten by something since you arrived here in Beacon Hills?" He said with more urgency.

"No," I said slowly, "But I think you might have been bitten my some crazy bug. Are _you_ feeling alright, Stiles?" I made to feel his forehead but he jerked away.

"I'm fine." Under his breath he muttered, "It's you I'm worried about."

We had arrived in front of Allison's house before I knew it.

"Are you going to answer my question or keep acting weird?" I asked, peeved.

Stiles stared at me, examining me. "We were doing something for a school project."

"You're the worst liar I've ever met." I laughed darkly, "I'm going to find out, you know."

Stiles' lips curled upwards a bit, "That's what I'm afraid of. Are you _sure_—?"

"Yes, yes," I barked impatiently, "I haven't been bitten by anything. I'm fine. I've just been feeling a bit under the weather, that's all." I huffed, knowing this trip had been a bust.

"Maybe you should see a doctor. What's wrong?" He asked curiously.

"Just haven't been feeling great with the stress of moving and all." I sighed, glancing out the window towards Allison's house, "I've been tired and sometimes I get a whiff of something and I lose my lunch."

"Only your lunch?" Stiles cracked a grin.

I rolled my eyes, "Metaphorically."

"Maybe you're ill. You should get that checked out by a doctor."

I gave Stiles a weird look, "Okay, _mom_."

"Just lookin' out for my new buddy." He said innocently but he was examining me, as if searching for bites.

I nodded, opening up the car door. "Tell you what," I said, facing Stiles again. "I'll go see a doctor when you tell me what you and Scott are up to."

Stiles shook his head, "I better start making funeral arrangements for you, then."

I rolled my eyes as I slammed the jeep door shut. He waved me off but I could see the look of concentration and wonder as he drove off. It was a bit unsettling. I made my way up the stone path to Allison's house and opened the door.

"What did Stiles want?" She pounced immediately

"Just wanted to talk." I shrugged, feeling drowsy all of the sudden.

Allison cracked a wide smile, "I think he likes you."

I let out a loud laugh but didn't feel like pointing out that Stiles was madly in love with Lydia. "Maybe." I felt my eyes close slightly.

"Are you okay?" How many times was I going to hear that today?

"I just need to lie down." The events of tonight must be catching up to me, the adrenaline was wearing off.

"Okay," Allison murmured, worry etched on her face. "Just go lie down on the couch. I'll heat up your dinner."

But, suddenly I was so hungry anymore. All I wanted to do now was sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>_This is suckish. I know this. Especially after the amount of time I've made you wait. This is mostly a filler but I promise the next chapter will be better! I wrote this last night and I just wanted to give you something until tomorrow when I finish the next one. Sorry for this chapter. I truly am, haha._

_Forgive me! It'll get better. I swear on my dead grandmother's life._


	12. Coma

I woke up to my father shaking me roughly. My eyes opened slightly, burning from the light. It was day time now and I was back home. How long had I been out?

"Cassidy," My father's voice echoed in my mind. I was still exhausted after sleeping through the night. "Cassidy, wake up, honey." His voice sounded urgent so I pushed my brain into consciousness.

I groaned, rubbing my eyes roughly, "What's wrong?" I muttered, peering up at him. He looked distressed. His blue eyes were alight with anger and worry.

"Sheriff Stilinski called us." He said and I knew I was fucked. So much for keeping this on the down low.

"Oh," I murmured, leaning up groggily. "What did he want?"

"Don't play, Cassidy," My father said angrily. "Did you think you could just be involved in something like that and not expect me to find out about it?" He stood up and began to pace, running his hands through his peppered hair agitatedly. He only paced when he was distressed. It was scaring me.

"I just didn't want you to worry." I sighed, sitting up straight, awake now.

"I'm your father!" He shouted, "I will _always_ worry about you, no matter what!"

I swallowed the lump in my throat, feeling guilty for the pain I'd caused him. "I'm sorry, dad."

"I don't know what we're going to do with you, Cassidy." He shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I really don't. All you've done since we arrived is get yourself in trouble."

I frowned, "I'm sorry, dad." I repeated, feeling tears well up in my eyes. How was this my fault? I didn't go around asking for trouble. All I ever did was what my parents wanted me to do and it seemed to be getting me in more trouble than not. But, if I was being honest, whenever I got attacked I was doing things on my own accord. The night at the school I was going on a date with Derek, last night when I went to get a movie for my night with Allison. _Allison_. I had totally bailed on all our plans! Now, I felt doubly awful.

The only time I had been doing my parents bidding was when the window at the hospital had been broken and that wasn't really an attack on me. So, I could understand where my dad was coming from. This was my fault.

"Damnit, Cassidy!" He growled, "Are you even listening to me?" I hadn't realized he was still scolding me.

"Yes," I answered immediately, tears falling from my eyes.

"Don't cry." He demanded and I tried my best to obey but I just couldn't. My emotions were getting the better of me. "Cassie," He said softly. My father took a seat on the edge of my bed and sighed. "I'm just worried about you. You need to be careful around here."

"Be careful of what?" I sniffled. My fathers jaw clenched and he leaned forward, kissing me softly on my forehead. The conversation was obviously over. But, why? What was he avoiding that would stop him from scolding me?

"The world's a dangerous place." He answered. "You can never be too careful."

I frowned again, drying my tears. Was it just me or did that sound like it had a double meaning?

He stood up, looking thirty years older, "I need to go speak with your uncle. Would you like to come?"

I did want to see Allison, to apologize. Maybe it was time I told her what was going on. The guilt had been weighing on me. Maybe it was the reason I hadn't been feeling well. I was never any good at lying and Allison deserved more than what I was giving her. Confessing what was going on with me would surely help me feel better. I just hoped Allison would forgive me.

"I need to wake up first." I told him, pulling back my covers and lying back down. "I'll drive over later."

"I don't know if that's such a good idea, Cassie." My father said hesitantly.

"I promise to call you before I leave and check in with you as soon as I get there." I promised, feeling sleep over come me.

I heard my father sigh, "Alright. Your mother is at the store. She should be home soon. Let her know where you're going, too."

Great. Now, I was basically under house arrest. How long would I live under this dictatorship? Until that stupid mountain lion had been caught? But, I wasn't so sure I believed that mountain lion story. Especially not after what I'd seen last night. The culprit was definitely a wolf. And there was more than one out there.

My father exited the room, leaving my door open in the hopes that the noises and lights would wake me up faster. It didn't work and I fell asleep again.

An alarm screamed in my ear and my hand frantically scrambled to silence it. I slammed down on my phone and opened my eyes. It was dark out now, I couldn't tell if it was dawn or dusk until I glanced at me phone. I should have known it was morning. Why else would my school alarm be going off?

Had I slept through the entire weekend? That didn't seem healthy. In fact, I was down right terrified. It was like I had been in a coma. Why hadn't my parents woken me up?

I shrugged it off as them just letting me sleep off my third animal attack and shoved off the covers to take a quick shower.

I glanced at the steamed up mirror, staring at my reflection. I looked terrible and tired. I had just been in a two day coma and still felt like I could sleep for another two. It was odd. The stress of moving and constantly being attacked by a strange wild animal was definitely taking its toll on me.

I quickly got dressed and grabbed my school bag. Downstairs my parents were waiting for me.

"Morning, sweetheart," My mother smiled as she sipped on her coffee. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Did you let me sleep all weekend?" I asked quickly.

My dad put down the newspaper and put on a cheerful smile. "You were tired. You've have quite an eventful time since we arrived here. We just wanted to let you rest."

I didn't buy that for a minute but didn't fight back. "You taking me to school?" I questioned instead.

"Nope. Stiles is." I furrowed my brows at this. I had been on house arrest with mandatory check-ins for weeks now and they had never let anyone but them or family drive me anywhere.

"Why?" I blurted.

My dad tilted his head as if he was slightly confused, "Because he asked and we thought it would be nice for you to spend some time with Sheriff Stilinski's boy. He's a good kid."

A good kid? What the hell had happened while I was out?

A faint beep rang through the kitchen and I knew Stiles had arrived.

"He's here." My father said unnecessarily. I nodded as my mother kissed me on the forehead. "Have a good day. Call me when you get to school!"

I run out the door and swiftly opened the passenger door of the blue jeep only to find Scott currently occupying it.

"Uhm, hi," I said, bewildered. Scott and Stiles smiled awkwardly as I hurried into the backseat.

Nobody spoke for awhile and I wasn't sure whether this was some sort or intervention or not. But, when we didn't end our journey in the school parking lot, I was starting to panic. Stiles pulled his jeep into a vacant lot down by the forest.

I reached for the handle but the door was locked. I jiggled with it until Scott asked me what I was doing.

"Nothing." I said quickly.

Stiles glanced at me suspiciously. "So, did you guys just want to skip school and spend a pleasantly, non-murderous day at the park?" I chuckled hysterically.

"No, we're going to murder you." Stiles said seriously.

Scott smacked him on the shoulder when I whimpered, "Dude, stop being a dick." Scott turned to face me, looking serious and somber, "Cassie, we're not going to hurt you. But, I think its time we talk."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>_I'M ! (;_

_Oh, lordy have I missed writing. This chapter is short but I've been writing how I want this story to go down and I think I have this whole story planned out. I have A LOT planned, especially in the next chapter. So, hold onto your seats._

_Did I mention that I've watched the Teen Wolf trailer 500,000 times? No? Well, it's true. I need it to be June 3rd. Badly._

_Keep reviewing my lovely readers. I deeply heart it. - 3_


	13. Werewolves And Monsters

I glanced nervously between the two teens, "What's going on? You guys are creeping me out."

Scott pursed his lips, thinking hard about how he was going to go about this.

However, Stiles beat him to the punch. "You remember that deal we jokingly made in my car a few days ago?"

I thought hard about that conversation. That last few days had been fuzzy. "Not really." I answered truthfully.

"Well," Stiles sighed anxiously, "You said that you'd go see a doctor if Scott and I told you what was really going on."

"Oh," I nodded, remembering vaguely, "Right. Are you finally going to tell me what the hell is going on in this insane town?" I scooted forward, no longer fearing of being axed to death by them.

Stiles and Scott exchanged another painful glance. "I think you should probably call in sick. This is going to take awhile."

I nodded, remembering that I had to call my dad anyway. I called him and told him I had arrived safely at school. It was unnerving how easily and convincing I could lie now. Before I had come to Beacon Hills I never so much as stretched the truth a little. Now, it seemed that all I was doing was lying through my teeth.

Next, I called the school posing as my mother. The news of my involvement at the video store had spread and the attendance lady told me to tell myself I was excused until I felt up to coming back to school.

As soon as I put my phone away, Scott and Stiles exited the jeep. I followed their lead and soon we were deep in the forest.

"We don't want anyone to catch us in the act of murdering you." Stiles said, earning another smack from his friend.

"We don't want to be overheard." Scott corrected.

"I think we're safe. Everyone's at school or work. No one is wandering the forest." I told them earnestly.

"You'd be surprised." Stiles muttered darkly. The way he said it made my skin crawl.

A few minutes of silence passed before we halted at a heavily wooded area. Scott motioned to a large fallen log. "You might want to sit down." I nodded, plopping down on the mossy trunk.

"Where to begin?" Stiles chuckled awkwardly. "I guess we should start off first by telling you we're not crazy."

"How comforting." I mumbled, feeling anxiety rise in my stomach. They both started to pace, making me even more terrified for what was coming.

"Stiles says that you're convinced you were never bitten." Scott ran a hand through his dark locks.

"Bitten by _what_?" I asked impatiently, "A mosquito?"

Stiles chuckled as if it was the most absurd thing he'd ever heard. "Not exactly. Something a bit…larger."

I stayed quiet, waiting for my answer.

Scott stopped pacing and looked seriously into my eyes, "A werewolf."

I couldn't stop the hysterical laughter that burst from my mouth. "You cannot be serious!" I doubled over in laughter. They had lost their minds.

"Do you remember what I said about us not being crazy wackadoos?" Stiles stressed as I chortled away.

"This isn't a joke, Cassie!" Scott sat me up roughly, his voice urgent and slightly angry. I stopped suddenly, scared by Scott's outburst. _"This is real!"_

"Werewolves aren't real." But even as the words came out I wasn't so sure anymore.

"What do you think has been attacking the town? Attacking you?" Scott asked quickly.

My answer was reflexive, "A mountain lion."

"I know you don't believe this mountain lion story for a second." Scott told me.

"And you believe it's a werewolf?" I asked tentively.

"We don't think," Stiles sighed heavily, "we _know_."

I mulled that over for a bit. Scott and Stiles never seemed like they were off their rocker. They seemed like pretty sane teenage boys. I couldn't find any reason for them to make this up or believe in it if it wasn't real.

It made sense, I guessed. Hadn't I seen a wolf in the video store? Wasn't it wolf hair that I had seen at the hospital break in? Maybe this wasn't so crazy. Maybe they weren't clinically insane.

"Werewolves…" I muttered, "How do you guys know?"

Scott's Adam's apple quivered as Stiles snorted lightly, rubbing his feet in the dirt.

"How do you guys know?" I repeated with a little more force this time.

"Because," Stiles said shortly, itching his head.

I was slowly becoming more aggravated. "So, did you bring me out to the middle of the woods to give me half-answers and a magical story time or are you going to get to the point some time soon?" I barked.

"It's not really something you can explain." Scott confessed, "It's more of a show-and-tell."

Stiles glanced nervously at Scott and me, "Are you sure?"

"She won't believe me otherwise." Scott said.

"I won't believe what?" I asked, standing up.

Scott stepped back a few paces as Stiles crept towards me. He held out his hand and muttered, "Just in case."

"Just in case what?" I breathed.

Scott took in a deep breath, his fists clenched at his side. His body began to tremble and his head stayed down. I opened my mouth to demand what was going on until I looked on in amazement. Right before my eyes, Scott seemed to be changing.

His dark hair slid down his face as his face slowly distorted into something else. Something not human. Scott unclenched his fists to reveal long, razor sharp nails. He peered up at me and my eyes connected with his now-golden eyes.

I stumbled backwards in astonishment only to have Stiles catch me. My hands clamped over my mouth to stifle my scream. We were in the middle of no where, no one would have heard it anyway.

"Oh, my God," I stuttered, "Scott?"

So, werewolves did exist. And one of them was dating my cousin.

"Werewolves," I shook my head in disbelief.

Scott stepped forward. "They're real. I'm one of them."

"Do you believe us now?" Stiles asked quietly, letting go of my hand. I hadn't even noticed I'd grabbed it. I studied Scott's new features, trying to get used to what was going on around me.

"This is real? You guys aren't just fucking with me?" I asked, hoping I was just imagining things, that I would wake up from my coma and dad would take me to school instead of Stiles.

"This is real, Cassie." Scott told me before his face returned back to normal. No more facial hair, no more glowing golden eyes.

I sat back down on the log in silence.

"Are you okay?" Stiles questioned softly. "I think you broke her, Scott."

"It's just a lot to process. My cousin is dating a werewolf. Werewolves exist. I've been attacked by one." I threw my face into my trembling hands.

It was silent for a few moments before Scott broke it.

"We think you've been more than attacked."

I jerked my head up, "What do you mean?"

"We think you've been bitten." Stiles said. I stood up, crossing my arms and feeling annoyance radiate through me.

"If you say that one more time, I'm going to start punching you." I announced, glaring at them both.

"What about a scratch?" Stiles tried.

_"Stiles,"_ I seethed. "Is that how it passes? Through a bite or a scratch?"

"Just a bite." Scott confirmed. "Or you're just born one."

"You were bitten?" I questioned. Scott nodded. "Is it safe for you to be…intimate with Allison?" I asked awkwardly. I didn't want her to become this. I'd see enough movies to know this wasn't the greatest lifestyle.

Scott seemed unsure of this himself.

"As long as there's no kinky business," Stiles joked.

"When did this happen?" I asked Scott.

"About three months ago. It happened the night before school started." Scott said, digging into his story, "Stiles and I went out because the police found half a body in the forest. The girl's name was Laura Hale."

"Hale?" I interrupted, "Like Derek Hale?"

The boys exchanged another look. "You know Derek?"

"Yes," I said truthfully. If they were going to be honest, so was I.

"Wait," Stiles stopped, confused, "What?"

"I met him my first day here. But, get on with your story." I ushered.

Stiles eyes went wide, "No, we need to hear this one."

I shook my head stubbornly, "I've been waiting too long for answers. After you."

Stiles looked like he wanted to argue but Scott went on, "Well, Stiles and I got caught and split up. I got attacked in the forest by something. Turns out it was a werewolf. At first we thought it was Derek Hale—" Scott paused, waiting for that to sink in.

It felt like the world had gone silent to listen to those two words: Derek Hale. When they were mixed with words like 'werewolf' and 'attack' it made me feel sick again.

"I'm going to throw up." I said simply. And I did. Stiles rubbed my back in what was supposed to be soothing but felt more awkward.

"You didn't know?" Stiles asked.

_"Of course I didn't know!"_ I snapped, throwing his hand off me, "I just found out werewolves existed two minutes ago and, apparently, I slept with one after barely knowing him for five minutes!" I collapsed down on the log again, holding onto myself tightly or else I would completely fall apart. "How could I possibly have known when everyone is keeping things from me?" I sobbed, "I must be such a joke, such a sad, sad joke."

"You had _sex_ with Derek?" Stiles' words came out in a frantic rush. I nodded, unable to face them.

"It was about a month ago," I told them feeling incredibly embarrassed, "The night at the school. You blamed Derek for that but he was with me the whole time. He saved me from whatever was _really_ there." I glanced up at Scott, feeling the tears run freely down my cheeks, "He saved me from you."

"Me?" Scott asked, completely shocked.

"You were coming at me. I guessed you were werewolf-Scott but I didn't know it then." I told him, "Derek came in as some other huge wolf attacked me."

"Attacked you?" Stiles cut in.

"It just pinned me down and sniffed me." I clarified. "No biting. But, this one was different. It looked totally like a wolf, not like what Scott looks like."

"The Alpha." Scott said.

"The what?" I asked.

"He's the leader of Scott's pack." Stiles informed me, "The one who bit Scott."

"Who is he?" I looked at the boys quizzically, trying not to think about this new information about Derek.

"The Alpha." Stiles said obviously but I could tell he was still shocked by my relationship with Derek.

"Obviously," I snorted, "I mean, this Alpha's a person, right? Like Scott or…Derek?" I swallowed back the nausea. "When he's not a _werewolf_, he's just some average Joe."

They looked like they had never thought of this before.

"I guess," Scott muttered, "But, we have no idea who he is."

"Have you tried looking for him?" I questioned, "Tried figuring out who this monster is before he turns anyone else?" I stopped for a moment, "I can't believe I'm having a conversation about werewolves with a teen wolf." I sighed tiredly, rubbing my face. "Why is this happening?" I muttered.

Scott took a seat next to me, "I've been asking myself that everyday." He told me quietly. Stiles crossed his arms, looking solemn.

"After Scott was bitten, we ran into Derek," Stiles went on with the story, determined to fill me in. "As well as being an ass, he's been a huge help. Derek was born a werewolf."

"He never told me." I whispered.

"It's not the kind of thing you can casually slip into a conversation." Scott told me, chuckling lightly, "Ever since I fell in love with Allison, all I've wanted to do is tell her. But, I can't."

"Why not?" I demanded, "She deserves to know! This isn't the kind of intimate detail you leave out of a relationship!"

Scott didn't respond.

"Scott," I stood up, furious, "I spend one night with Derek and its hard enough to take. Can you even being to imagine what it will be like for Allison to hear this? You've known the entire time and she'll feel like a huge joke, just like me." I looked at Scott expectantly, "Do you think that if you keep this from her until the secret slips or you hurt somebody, Allison will forgive you?"

Scott stayed still as stone.

"Cassie," Stiles said warningly. I knew I was getting to Scott but I didn't care. Besides what Derek had done to me, this was my family he was messing with. I wanted him to pay.

"She won't." I hissed, "She'll never look at you again the same. All you'll ever be to her is a _monster_."

That was all Scott needed to hear before he lost control. Stiles cried out my name as I was thrown to the floor. Scott growled in my ear, glaring down with his wolf eyes. A small gasp escaped my lips as Stiles tried to pull Scott off me. The crazed look in Scott's eyes told me I was either seconds from death, or something much worse.

But, before Scott could do anything rash, he came to his senses. "You're right." Scott gulped, backing away horrified. His features slowly went back to normal. "I _am_ a monster."

I crawled away quickly in fear of another attack. Unconsciously, I checked my body for bites.

"Scott," Stiles gasped, glancing at his best friend in astonishment.

"I'm so sorry," Scott muttered, turning his face away in shame. "I lost control."

"What if you lose control around Allison?" I whispered, straightening myself out.

"I'd be dead." Scott answered simply.

"You'd kill yourself?" I asked in horror.

"No," Stiles cut in, "Your family would."

I brushed a stray piece of my golden brown hair out of my face. "What did you just say?" I glared hatefully at the two. "My family isn't murderers! How dare you make such accusations!"

I tried storming off further into the forest, wanting to be as far away from these two as possible. Scott was the killer. He was the thing that went bump in the night, the creature nightmares were made of. My parents were humanitarians. Allison's were great people, too.

"Cassie," Stiles grabbed my arm before I could get too far, "We need to talk about this!"

"We don't need to talk about anything." I spat. "You kidnap me and throw all this insane shit on me and then accuse my family of murder!" I laughed coldly.

"We know how this sounds." Scott said hurriedly, "But, you need to know the whole story."

"And to be fair," Stiles piped in quietly, "We're accusing them of murder they haven't committed yet…" I ignored Stiles.

I whirled around in anger. "Enlighten me. You've never even _met_ my parents. How could you possibly call them murderers?"

"Your parents are hunters." Stiles blurted, "Your whole family is."

I furrowed my brows, "My parents have never been hunting."

"Not that kind of hunting." Scott half-glanced at Stiles, "They hunt…werewolves."

"This is too much," I held my hands up in surrender; "I think I would have preferred to stay in the dark." I could feel a lump rising painfully in my throat. I was feeling too overwhelmed.

"I know this is hard to take in." Scott tried to comfort me, "Believe me, I wish I could un-know everything I've learned in the last few weeks, but I can't. Your parents are hunters, so are Allison's."

I let out a shaky breath, "Why are you telling me this?"

"You wanted to know." Stiles reminded me.

"Well, I was wrong." I snapped. "Does Allison know?"

"She doesn't know anything." Scott answered, "And I want to keep it that way." Suddenly, I was on board with keeping her in the dark. I didn't want her to carry this burden. Our parents had been lying to us for years. All the moving, the whole 'family business' spiel that somehow justified destroying our childhood. Who knew the family business was hunting werewolves.

Well, apparently Scott and Stiles.

"What happens now?" I asked numbly. For a few moments all we could hear was the rushing of the wind in the trees and the faint murmur of hidden insects.

"We live our lives." Scott muttered, "We go on, pretending we're normal in a world that's far from it."

I shook my head, "I can't pretend I don't know this. I can't lie to Allison."

"You have to." Stiles told me. I bit my lip in agitation.

"Are those all the secrets you have or are you going to tell me vampires are real, too?" I asked haughtily.

"Not that we're aware of." Stiles said before getting smacked (yet again) by Scott.

"We didn't tell you this because you wanted to know." Scott confessed, suddenly looking guilty and distraught, "We did it because we think you _need_ to know." The boys exchanged a longer more meaningful look. This look was unsettling and secretive, like they knew something I didn't (again).

"What?" My voice broke, terrified by what they could possibly have let to say that would unnerve me anymore than I already was.

"You have eyesight like Scott, you can see in the dark as clear as day. You can smell things that you shouldn't be able to smell." Stiles paused, looking unsettled, "You haven't been bit but there's got to be something else."

"Maybe it's just the hunters' blood in me." I said almost hopefully.

"Hunters don't have special powers." Scott shook his head. "They just train all their lives to be what they are."

"Then what is it?" I asked, terrified. If they didn't have all the answers, who would?

Stiles thought hard, glancing up at the sky in concentration. Scott frowned at his friend.

"Guys, you're freaking me out." I muttered, "If this is some sort of joke—"

Stiles gasped all of the sudden, staring at me in utter horror. I felt my heart stop at the fear in his eyes. "S-Stiles, what is it?"

"You haven't been feeling well lately?" Stiles questioned. I shook my head quickly.

"Every time I get a whiff of something repugnant I puke and no matter how much sleep I get, I always feel tired." I informed them quickly. "I spent the entire weekend sleeping."

"Oh, my god," Stiles' brown eyes were wide, _"Holy shit."_

"Stiles," Scott begged, "You're freaking us out! What the hell do you know?"

Stiles placed his hands tentively on my shoulders, "This is going to sound really, really weird, but, Cassie—" He pursed his lips before going on, "When was the last time you had your…period?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>_OMG. First ten minutes of Teen Wolf are now available for me to watch over and over and over again. How am I supposed to pass my finals with that floating around?_

_Oh, the price I pay to see adorable Stiles and sexy Derek..._

_I feel like this chapter is kind of crazy and rambly but if you found out werewolves existed or were trying to explain you were one, would you have that perfectly planned out? Scott and Stiles definitely wouldn't...tehe._

_Probably the longest chapter ever written. Simply amazing. Review! (: _


	14. Impossibility

I laid on Stiles' uncomfortable bed staring up his cluttered ceiling. His walls were so full of wall posters of women and werewolf facts that he'd moved on to the ceiling. Stiles was the most unorganized person I knew, it was amazing he could find anything in his messy room.

Scott was still as a statue leaning against the closet door. His face was seemingly expressionless. Stiles, on the other hand, couldn't stop moving about his room. At first, he was twirling around his computer chair but after a few minutes of that he made his way around the room, flipping open books or looking through magazine articles, muttering to himself. "It doesn't make sense." Stiles repeated that over and over again.

I took Scott's approach and hadn't moved since I'd taken the test. I'd never imagined in a million years that I would be in this position. Only whores and sluts took pregnancy tests. I had sex one time, just one time with one man and I was somehow being punished for it. It wasn't fair.

So, now I was sitting in Stiles' cluttered room with him and a werewolf for two minutes. Two long minutes. I always thought that it would take longer than two minutes for something to define me. Maybe four years in college or eight years in medical school, but not a two minute test to become a teen mom. This was never in my parents' plans for me.

The timer beeped and we drew in a collective breath. Stiles fell out of his chair that he had occupied once again. He glanced up at me as I sat up straight, feeling achy and rigid.

Time was up.

Stiles made to grab the test sitting on his night stand but Scott stopped him effortlessly. It was unsettling how quick Scott was when he wasn't trying to be human.

"Let Cassie." Scott told him. Stiles peered up at me, looking more nervous than I felt. His eyes were large and his mouth was agape. Scott nudged me up when I didn't move. I felt like I was having an out of body experience. This was dream, I was sure of it.

Lethargically, I pushed myself off the bed and made my way to the night stand. I reached out a shaky hand and snatched the test up, not looking at the results. I didn't want to know.

"What does it say?" The anticipation was killing Stiles.

"I can't," I sighed, shaking my head in despair. I held it out to Stiles and he quickly snatched it up. Stiles' eyes got even wider as he looked at the test and then Scott and I.

"This shouldn't be possible." He muttered, "This doesn't make sense."

"What does it say?" I pleaded as Scott snatched the stick from Stiles.

"It's—" Scott gulped, glancing at me regretfully. "It's positive, Cassie."

I faintly heard his apology before I collapsed onto the bed. This changed everything.

"This isn't possible." Stiles repeated, shaking his head, rummaging through his piles of books. He peeled through him, reading a few sentences and moving onto the next one.

"What's not possible?" Scott asked, standing over Stiles.

"This," Stiles gestured to me, grabbing the test. "Cross-breeding!"

"C-Cross-breeding?" I stuttered. It seemed pretty self-explanatory but I didn't care. I needed Stiles to explain all this to me so I wouldn't feel so lost.

"Breeding between two species." Stiles said obviously, "Werewolves can only mate with other werewolves. Humans can only procreate with other humans. It's the basis of all supernatural knowledge! Humans and wolves aren't genetically compatible! It's as simple as that!" He cried, looking crazed and confused.

I shook my head, feelings tears stream down my face, "What's wrong with me? How can this be happening?" I sobbed. "I'm some sort of genetic freak!"

"I wouldn't call you a freak." Scott muttered under his breath.

"How am I supposed to tell my parents?" I wretched, shaking uncontrollably. "If they're what you say they are—these ruthless hunters, what will to do to me if I'm pregnant with the very thing they hunt? It's an abomination!"

"Cassie!" Scott cried, pulling my arms away from my body to stop me from digging my nails into my skin. "Stop it!"

He forced me to look into his eyes but I couldn't see through my tears very well.

"Cassie, you're parents aren't going to hurt you!" Stiles promised, "It's going to be okay."

I couldn't see how that would be possible. "I haven't seen Derek since that night." I confessed, "How am I supposed to tell him?"

Scott frowned, "He's hiding out since we marked him as California's most wanted."

I gazed at Scott, shocked, "You know where he is?"

Stiles peered at me guiltily, "He never left, Cassie. He's hiding out."

"I have to see him." I stood up at once, only to wobble and fall back into Scott.

"Are you okay?" Stiles asked at once. I felt light headed and my head began to throb.

"I can't—I can't," I mumbled, rubbing my head, "I'll be fine. I have to see Derek."

"I don't think that's such a good idea." Stiles argued. "We need to figure out what's going on with you."

"I'm pregnant." I snapped, "That's what's going on with me!"

"That's not what I'm talking about!" Stiles voice rose, his face red in a sudden flash of anger, "Humans shouldn't be able to carry a werewolf baby! You're already weak and tired and it's only a month in. If we don't get you help or find someone to make sure you're okay, you might not even survive this!"

"_Survive_ this?" Scott interrogated. "What are you saying, Stiles?"

"What have I been saying?" Stiles looked crazed, "Humans and werewolves can't mate!"

"Yeah," I told him in a distressed voice, "But, what was the part about me not living through this pregnancy?"

"I've read through every folk lore and seen every movie." Stiles told me, running an agitated hand through his buzz cut hair. "This baby is an impossibility. And it's probably going to kill you, Cassie."

I felt ill, like I couldn't breathe. "You don't know that, Stiles. You can't know that!"

Scott stayed silent, looking passive in the corner. "Maybe we should consider the alternative." He spoke up.

"What alternative?" I hissed. Scott gave me a pointed look. I grabbed my head in my shaking hands, feeling overwhelmed. "I couldn't live with myself."

"I don't know if you have much of a choice, Cassie." Stiles murmured. "It's what best for everyone."

I sniffled, glancing around Stiles' room, knowing they were right.

"There's a doctor we could see." Scott piped up. Our eyes connected and I felt hope for the first time since I woke up this morning.

"You know a doctor that specializes in crazy?" I questioned, sitting up straight.

"I guess you could say that." Scott said evasively. Stiles frowned, confused about what Scott was talking about.

"Oh!" Stiles realized, "Your boss?"

"The Alpha?" I asked in horror. "You want me to _see_ the Alpha?"

"No!" Stiles cried, shaking his head quickly, "The Alpha can't know about you!"

"Shit," Scott blinked, "The Alpha can _never_ know about you. If you can even have this baby, we need to keep you far away from his radar."

"Great." I muttered, "If the Alpha finds out about this, what happens?"

Stiles bit his lip, greatly distressed again, "Honestly, Cassie, I don't know."

"But, it's probably nothing good for anyone, especially you." Scott told me seriously.

I gulped, "Will you take me to see Derek now?"

Scott shook his head, "The less people who know about this, the better."

Before I could argue, Stiles promised, "Just until we know what we're up against. This is unknown territory—even for me—I don't like this."

"We gotta see my boss." Scott reassured me, "He'll know what to do."

"When?" I asked defeated.

"Tomorrow." Scott decided, "We gotta get you home before your dad finds out you never made it to school."

* * *

><p>Don't know how I feel about this chapter. Kind of mehhhh. But, I wanted to get something out to you guys before the premiere tomorrow.<p>

YEEEEEEE Teen Wolf is coming back! 3


	15. Liar

It was amazing how much you could miss in a single day.

When I arrived at school the next day, Lydia was still outraged that the winter formal had been canceled.

_"Canceled!"_ She had screeched when I made the mistake of asking her about it. "My weeks of hard work were for nothing! _Nothing!_ All because of what happened at the school and movie store. I hope someone finds that mountain lion and stabs it to death!" With a swing of her luscious red hair, Lydia huffed away, hell-bent on finding the 'mountain lion' herself.

Everything seemed different now that I knew the truth. Mountain lions weren't terrorizing the town, werewolves were. I had almost corrected Lydia on her mountain lion rant but bit my tongue. I had promised Scott and Stiles that I wouldn't tell anyone about our not-so-little secret. Who would believe me anyway?

After Stiles had dropped me off, I made my way to the drug store and bought five more pregnancy tests. I just had to be sure.

Five more positive tests later, I was more than sure. I was terrified.

There was no one to confide in besides Scott and Stiles and they weren't my family or a girl. They wouldn't understand how I felt. Besides the horrifying fact that in a few months time I would be a teen mom, I was going to be a teen mom with a freaky hybrid werewolf baby that my hunter family would probably kill. And that was only if I indeed _survived_ the pregnancy.

I couldn't talk to Allison. I promised Scott I wouldn't reveal any of his secrets to her. Now that Scott and I were stuck in some secret triangle with Stiles, I was finding it hard to talk to Allison about anything.

My parents were so out of the realm of possibility of confiding in that I could almost laugh. What would they do to me? Not only had I slept with a man I had known only a couple weeks and gotten pregnant, but I slept with a werewolf. Not to mention he was a wanted fugitive. I didn't think a simple grounding would help me see the error of my ways. Scott had told me about some hunter code—but, would that apply to me and whatever was growing inside me? I just didn't know.

I didn't even want to tell Derek. In all honesty, I never wanted to see him again. I knew it took two to tango, but somehow this was all his fault. I didn't want him in my life and I shuttered to think how he'd react to something like this. Would he personally murder me and the child himself? I hardly knew Derek at all. Anything was plausible at this point.

I was just so confused. My life had seemed so simple only a month ago. Pack up and move, be a good student and daughter, and pack up a move again. So simple. Now, everything was spirally out of control so fast that I could barely get myself out of bed.

It wasn't only the fact that someday soon I wouldn't even be able to physically hide the pregnancy, it was the weight that I felt walking around. This made me just as bad as my parents. Hiding, lying, sneaking around. That was all us Argents did. I couldn't believe it had taken so long for me to realize this. Allison appeared to be the only honest one left and I felt most guilty when I was around her.

Her bright smile, so carefree and innocent. I never wanted her to know our family secrets and lose that smile. But, I knew this was wrong of me to keep this from her. Allison deserved to know, this was her family too. I just couldn't bring myself to burden her—at least not yet.

I sat in my last period, my mind on all of the drama in my life that no one in Beacon Hills knew. How could they be so oblivious? Mr. Ryan went on reading _Wuthering Heights_. Suddenly, I could care less for romance novels anymore. I didn't want anything to do with their wretched lies. All they did was set you up for disappointment and teen pregnancy. Catherine was a selfish bitch who made everyone around her miserable. What had I seen in such trivial love story?

Lies. That's what I had seen. Now that I could detect them, all I could hear and see were lies. The lies my parents told me, the lies Derek gave me, the lies Scott and Stiles used to feed to me. Everybody lied. And now I was lying too.

"Cassie." Stiles' voice whispered, "_Psst_. Cassie!" I had heard him the first dozen times but had been too lost in my internal rant.

"What?" I snapped, glaring up at Mr. Ryan for reading the stupid story aloud to the class. Classic love story my ass.

Stiles looked taken aback by my sudden anger. "Uh, we're taking you straight to the vet after school. Just wanted to remind you." He said cautiously.

Another great thing about being pregnant by a werewolf, you couldn't even see a real human doctor. That just screamed healthy and normal.

"Awesome." I muttered back, chewing agitatedly on my pencil.

"Alright, then." Stiles leaned back in his chair next to me.

"Yep." I sighed, staring at the clock. Thirty minutes left. I was going to stab my ears out if I had to listen to another whiny line by Heathcliff. I almost felt nauseas at the thought of hearing Mr. Ryan narrate for thirty more seconds, let alone minutes.

It took me a few seconds to realize that I was indeed nauseas. Morning sickness was kicking in again. I stood up abruptly and hurried out of the classroom, hearing Mr. Ryan call worriedly after me. I jogged across the hall to the three-stalled bathroom and spewed my lunch for a good fifteen seconds. By the time I was done, I was trembling and exhausted and didn't want to return to English.

Instead, I pulled out my phone and texted Stiles to pick up my things and meet me in his jeep. Until the bell rang, I propped myself on the toilet seat, leaning into the white laminated steel stall wall and shut my eyes for a thirty minute nap.

The bell shook me awake. It hadn't even felt like I'd shut my eyes for more than two seconds. I didn't want to move, I felt so drained. It took my a few moments to realize I couldn't move. My lids were so heavy; they didn't want to stay open.

Something was wrong.

It took all my remaining energy to pull out my phone. I dialed Stiles' number but before I could get it up to my ear, it slipped out of my grip. I felt my body go slack, slipping down the toilet. My head banged itself against the lid and everything went black.

The next thing I knew, I was in a hospital. The faint sound of machines pumping life into me bounced around my eardrums. I couldn't see, but I could smell the hospital. I could hear the intercom coolly calling doctors to places. I could smell every putrid scent the janitors tried to cover up with gallons of bleach. I didn't want these senses. I just wanted to be normal again.

I took a deep breath and pried my aching eyes open. The bright lights burned them and made me cry out.

In seconds, a doctor and a red-headed nurse were at my bedside, checking levels and blood pressure and doing ever other test imaginable. Blood was drawn, eyes were checked. It never seemed to stop.

My parents were there, so were Allison's and Allison herself. They fretted over me, asking me how I felt every ten seconds. My answer was always the same: a short "I'm just tired."

No matter how many times I said it, no one got the clue that I wanted them to leave so I could sleep.

My mother was gripping my hand tightly. She looked so stern even though I could tell she was worried. No one in this family was allowed to show fear. I understood why they were so hard now. Who could stay happy and carefree in a world where they hunted werewolves to keep people protected? It was wearing on me already and I had known only a day. I wasn't cut out for this life, I was too weak.

As soon as the red-headed nurse came back in, my parents stood up waiting for the news.

"Hi, Cassie," She smiled kindly, "My name is Jennifer. How are you feeling?"

"I'm just tired." I told her quietly. She nodded knowingly.

"Alright, well, the results have come in." Jennifer told my parents. "It's inconclusive, but it appears to be mono."

_"Mono?"_ My father questioned, appearing to be offended by the word. "That's impossible. My daughter hasn't been slutting around town." He growled.

I flinched. "The disease is a misnomer." Jennifer corrected, "It was probably just a simple kiss that transferred it. Maybe even just swapping a drink."

I thought to myself that it was much more than a simple kiss that did this to me.

"She has pancytopenia, major fatigue, and vomiting." The nurse went on, "All major symptoms of mono. But not all signs point to it."

"So, you don't know for sure what she has?" My mother asked incredulously. "You've ran every test, how can you _not_ know?" She demanded fiercely.

"Mell," My dad warned quietly, "They're doing all they can."

"Well, it's not good enough." My mother stood up abruptly. "Excuse me. I need to make a call."

Before my dad could stop her, she whipped out her cell phone and stormed out of the room.

Jennifer placed her clipboard under her arm, "We're going to start her on some treatment. It should help with the vomiting and fatigue. We're going to discharge you tonight." Jennifer placed something in my IV drip. "If nothing changes or your condition worsens, call Dr. Abidhail." She smiled, grabbing my hand and squeezing it. I just stared at her, uncomfortable by her touch.

"Okay," I answered.

"I'll be right back, sweetheart," My dad kissed my forehead before exiting the room after my mother.

I just wanted to go home and sleep in my own bed.

"I've always wanted to have kids." Jennifer said suddenly, her smile was no longer sweet, it was unsettling and devious.

"I'm sorry?" I questioned. Her chuckle made my blood freeze.

"I'll see you soon, Cassie," The nurse gave me a cold and calculating look. The total reverse from the friendly demeanor she had been putting up. I frowned, feeling uneasy. Before I could ask her what the hell that meant, Allison burst into the room.

"Cassie!" She engulfed me in a hug. When I looked up, the nurse has slipped out of the room. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm just—"

"If you say tired, I will beat you." Allison scolded, smiling lightly. It fell off her face almost immediately. "Cassie, what's going on with you?"

"Mono apparently." I told her. Allison frowned; her brown eyes searched mine for some truth.

"No, I mean, what is _going on_ with you?" She whispered, her eyes tearing up. "This isn't some illness, Cassie! You've been acting strange for weeks, ever since you arrived."

I shook my head. "I'm just tired."

_"Stop it!"_ Allison stood up straight, "Just stop lying to me! I can take it when it's my parents or Aunt Kate, but you?" She shook her head furiously, "You're my best friend! I can't take it from you."

"I'm not lying." Clearly I wasn't fooling her. "Alli—"

"Just stop." She looked so angry and hurt. She didn't _want_ to know what was wrong with me. "Mom, dad, Aunt Kate, Scott, Stiles, and now you. Why is everyone treating me like a child? Why can't you stop lying?" Desperate tears began to fall from her sad eyes.

"We're trying to protect you." I told her stoically. "You don't want to know, Alli."

"Protect me from _what_?" She demanded, "Nothing can make me feel worse than I already do!"

"Trust me—" I tried desperately.

"Like you trust me?" Allison spat. "I've been trying not to take this personally, thinking that you would come clean when you were ready. But, I'm starting to think that will never happen." She shook her head in disgust.

I couldn't help myself; I couldn't stand to keep it in any longer, to see Allison like this, to feel this awful about myself.

"Alli, I'm pregnant."

The change in her facial expression was drastic. Almost comical. But, I didn't laugh and neither did she.

She gasped, her face stuck in total shock.

"Cassie," My mother suddenly appeared, interrupting whatever heartfelt moment Allison and I were about to have. "They're going to discharge you now." She smiled happily at me before glancing at Allison. "What's wrong? What happened?"

Allison forced a smile, shaking her head, "Nothing." I had just made Allison a liar now, too. "I'm just happy Cassie's going to be okay."

But, I wasn't. I was far from okay.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>_Sorry for the delay! I've only got seven more days of school left until my updates can start to pick up! Yay! (:_

_I kind of liked this chapter which I didn't think I would. I sort of forced myself to write it last night but once I got into it, things kind of picked up. The creative juices are flowing. _

_It was mostly because I finally got to watch Monday's episode of _Teen Wolf _yesterday_. _I feel bad for Isaac but I'm sure he's going to turn into a real ass pretty soon. Haha. I don't know if I'm going to include many of the new characters in this story. I'm changing the timeline a bit (a lot). It is the almighty power of the writer's will. I've already decided to add a certain new hunter. If you've watched the new episodes, you know who I'm talking about (; muahahaha._

_So, comment and stuff. Me gusta _Teen Wolf_. _

_Oh, and if any of you guys are fans of _Supernatural_, I recently started a FF for it. Me gusta Castiel. So, check it! It's called Angel of Thursday._


	16. The Vet

"You're gonna be okay, Cassie." Stiles promised kindly, smiling so innocently it was almost believable. "Scott's boss can help us."

"Have you ever talked to him before?" I asked quietly, watching the trees fly by as we made our way to the animal clinic. Scott was waiting for us there, briefing the vet on what was going on.

"Well," Stiles chuckled evasively, "Not really…"

I glanced over at him suspiciously, "What does 'not really' mean exactly?"

"It means no," Stiles said truthfully, "But I thought it would make you feel better if I lied."

"You're a terrible liar." I commented, sitting up straighter as we pulled into the tiny parking lot.

"You're gonna be okay, Cassie." Stiles said again, "Scott's—"

"—boss can help us." I grumbled, "I heard you the first thousand times."

Stiles huffed as he turned off the ignition. We hopped out of the car in silence and made our way inside the brick building. The sign on the door read 'closed' but Stiles pushed right past it, holding open the door for me.

I thanked him as he closed the door behind us. A small _ding_ echoed hauntingly through the dimly lit lobby. I glanced around the small waiting room. There was a fake tree in the corner and papers neatly filed on the desk. It was a clean place. That made me feel a tiny bit better about this. At least I wouldn't catch hepatitis or something.

"Stiles?" Scott's voice called from the back. "Cassie?"

"We're here." Stiles answered back, glancing at me. "Come on." And he made his way behind the counter. I followed quickly.

We passed through a skinny hall that was covered in pictures of animals. We emptied out into the examination room. It smelled clean. Scott or his boss must have cleaned everything just for me.

There was some sort of machine next to the steel table. Someone had laid down a piece of fabric so I wouldn't have to lie on the cold, bare metal. How thoughtful.

A stocky, African-American man stood next to the equipment. "Hello, Cassie. I'm Doctor Deaton." He said kindly.

"Hi," I muttered quietly, eying the sterile room with precaution. My life was seriously messed up.

"Why don't you lie down on the table," Dr. Deaton gestured to the linen-clad metal, "And we'll get started."

Scott helped me up effortlessly onto the table. When he wasn't pretending to be normal, it was strange how much stronger and powerful he was. It was beyond me how I never really noticed how different Derek was until now. How could I have been so oblivious?

Dr. Deaton lifted up my shirt gently as Stiles cleared his throat uncomfortably. Scott rolled his eyes at his best friend and patted him on the chest. Dr. Deaton chuckled lightly under his breath.

"I'm going to put this jelly on your stomach. It's going to be cold, just to warn you." The vet announced. I nodded, bracing myself for the impact. And it was extremely cold.

The whole ten seconds of silence it took for the vet to smear the jelly on my stomach was killing Stiles who had never been quiet for so long in his life.

He scratched his neck and questioned, "Do you do this kind of thing often?"

Scott leaned against a cabinet, folding his arms in his chest, watching the vet intently.

Dr. Deaton smiled lightly, "Working with mythical creatures or moonlighting as a sonographer?"

Stiles opened his mouth twice before speaking, "Both?"

Dr. Deaton placed the transducer probe on my stomach, moving it around as he peered at the screen. "When I have to." He answered simply.

"Vague." Stiles commented. "I don't suppose you wanna elaborate."

The vet didn't seem to be listening. He furrowed his dark brows and leaned in closer to the screen. I was starting to feel nauseas. What was he looking at?

"Doc?" Scott questioned, moving in closer.

The vet stood up straight and looked back at me, "How far along are you again?"

My mouth felt dry, "About five weeks."

Dr. Deaton mulled that over, glancing back at the screen before removing the probe. He placed his warm hand on my stomach, feeling around.

My heart rate picked up frantically. I was too terrified to speak. For once I was glad Stiles was there.

"What's wrong?" Stiles asked quickly, "What are you doing?"

The vet pursed his lips in deep concentration. I propped myself on my elbows, staring up at him in fear. "Dr. Deaton…?"

"Are you sure you're only five weeks?" He finally spoke. I nodded fervently.

"It was the night of the attack at the school." I answered.

"Which was five weeks ago." Scott agreed. "Why?"

"Because according to my medical training and this ultrasound, Cassie is more like ten weeks." He confessed, turning around to show us on the screen, replaying the video he had just taken.

I gasped despite myself, placing one hand on my mouth and another on my stomach. Maybe it was my denial or complete ignorance but now I could feel the small bump on my stomach. It was barely noticeable to the naked eye but I could feel it. My chest seemed to have grown a full cup size in the past few seconds with this realization.

Stiles and Scott pushed their way forward, gaping at the screen as the vet explained.

"See here," He pointed at some blob that I presumed was supposed to be my baby. "It's little finger nails are growing in. There you can see it's hair starting to come in," The vet pointed at something else but all I could process was that he had told me I was about five weeks further along then I really was.

"_Ten weeks?_" I finally stressed, my eyes wide and frozen. My hands gripped my hair tightly; about to rip out a few chunks before Scott grabbed them. He easily disarmed me.

"What does this mean?" Stiles begged the question.

"I wish I knew." Dr. Deaton sighed, "I've never seen anything like this before and I'm not sure there is anyone who can help us. There hasn't been too much interaction between humans and wolves. Werewolves usually keep to themselves. As far as I know, this kind of cross-breeding shouldn't be possible." He shook his head, utterly confounded.

"Ha!" Stiles pointed out, "Told you."

I gaped at Stiles in disbelief. Scott simply glared at his friend.

"Yes, well," The vet went on, looking at Stiles strangely, "It appears this is obviously an abnormally accelerated pregnancy."

Stiles scoffed.

"And we'll need to keep an extremely close eye on you." The vet continued, directing his attention toward me, "Have you had any strange symptoms?"

"Like sleeping for long periods of time and passing out at school and going to the hospital?" I asked, still feeling dazed.

The vet nodded.

"Then, yes. I've had lots of abnormal symptoms. I'm also five weeks further along then I should be." I could feel my face heating up in displaced anger. "I'd call that an abnormal symptom."

"She can also smell things only Scott can." Stiles piped up, "And her vision is perfect."

My hand was grinding the hell out of Scott's but he didn't seem to notice.

The vet nodded again, rubbing his face, "I'd say this pregnancy is going at a rate of about two weeks per week. Give or take. And your body is not made to handle a werewolf pregnancy. You're not strong enough or built for this. When werewolves get pregnant, it's basically a normal pregnancy. But this—" He gestured toward the screen, "this is something else entirely."

I gulped, feeling unwanted tears stream down my face.

"Cassie," Stiles looked alarmed, "Are you okay?"

I wanted to reach out and throttle him. "No, you idiot. I'm not _okay_." I spat.

Stiles backed up, knowing he was very close to being murdered.

"I'd say your mood and behavior are erratic as well." Dr. Deaton commented, making his way to his cabinet. He opened it up with a key from his chain and revealed dozens of kinds of medicines. His hands felt through the bottles until he found what he wanted. The vet opened a drawer and pulled out a syringe.

I felt my body clam up. I hated needles.

"These are supplements that should help make up for the lack of chemicals and enzymes running through your veins. It appears that the baby is giving you some werewolf abilities—hence the sense of smell and impeccable eyesight. These should help strengthen you so you don't keep collapsing. The baby is virtually sucking the life out of you to grow." He told me plainly. At least he wasn't trying to sugar coat this.

I nodded, not knowing what else to do. There were a lot of bottles in his hands. And the syringe was eying me tauntingly.

"I think it's safe to say that this baby is no ordinary baby." The vet chuckled lightly despite himself, "its part wolf. Maybe even more human because its mother is merely human."

_"Merely?"_ Stiles repeated with a sort of indignation. The vet ignored him again.

"I'm going to have to inject some proteins directly into your bloodstream." He held up the syringe. "It will only hurt just a bit but unfortunately this will have to be a weekly thing."

I winced, thinking of the amount of needles I would have to endure for this child.

"For someone who doesn't know much about hybrid babies, you seem to know a lot about hybrid babies." Stiles muttered, squinting at the vet.

"It's my job to care for the supernatural." Dr. Deaton explained, holding out my right arm and rubbing his thumb gently into the crevice of my elbow. Without warning, he punctured the skin and I yelped, ripping my free fingernails into Scott's bare arm. He looked at me sympathetically, not minding this damage. As soon as my hand released him, the skin healed over. It was incredible.

"Done." The vet said as he pulled the needle out and disposing it. "You're a very brave girl, Cassie."

I didn't feel brave. I felt like running to my parents and hiding away. My parents...

"My parents." I muttered painfully, "What the hell am I supposed to do with my parents?" I begged.

Stiles and Scott exchanged a meaningful look. Dr. Deaton breathed in deeply.

"I'm not sure your parents are the ones you should be worrying about." He answered darkly. I looked at him quizzically.

"The Alpha." It wasn't a question that Scott posed.

"Amongst other things." The vet nodded.

"_Other_ things?" Stiles interjected.

"Other wolves, hunters, creatures." The vet confirmed, "There are other things in this world besides what Beacon Hills holds."

That was daunting in it of itself. It was hard enough to grasp what was going on in Beacon Hills. I didn't even wasn't to _think_ about what was happening just one town over. How many places had I lived in? Ten? Fifteen? And every single place held a horror of its own. Was it only werewolves or were there other things out there?

I shuddered to think of the possibilities.

Stiles gulped, wishing he hadn't asked. The nightmares we had just earned from that simple question….

"So, what are we supposed to do?" Scott finally broke the strained silence.

Dr. Deaton shrugged, "Act as normal as you can." (Stiles gave him an exasperated look) "Keep her away from the Alpha. Find Derek and tell him. Lie to your parents—"

"Tell Derek?" Scott asked fearfully.

"He's the father, right?" The vet raised one of his bushy brows, "He needs to know so he can protect Cassie. You're going to need all the help you can get." He eyed us expectantly, "An inexperienced bitten-wolf and a nerdy lycaon junkie aren't going to hold much of a fire against the Alpha or the Argents or anything for that matter. You three can't do this on your own."

"What about you?" Stiles pointed out, "You're helping us."

"I'm just a vet." Dr. Deaton said, turning our direction to the vast amount of pills I had to take. "I'm estimating your due date to be in about ten weeks if it keeps going at this rate. I'm not even sure I can help you make it to then but I'll try my hardest. Take seven of these twice a day," He showed me the various pills of different colors and shapes.

The vet looked at me with a serious expression, "Are you sure you want to do this?" He asked with obvious concern, "This is not simple matter. This could _kill_ you, Cassie. I want you to understand what the next ten weeks will entail. A lot of people will be out to hurt you and this baby.

"Your family will be one of them, Cassie. They kill before they think. There are much more dangerous hunters then the ones in Beacon Hills and if the rumors are true, they're on their way here now. I'm warning you now because it's my job to keep the balance and peace between everyone. This could change everything." The vet said solemnly.

I could tell he wanted me to get rid of this baby. But, something was stopping me from allowing him.

Shouldn't Derek get a say before I did this?

Of course he should. He was the father.

But, I didn't want to face Derek. That was the problem. I was too much of a coward. But, we needed his help if what Dr. Deaton was saying was true. And he had no reason to lie.

"I thought you were just a vet." Scott muttered suddenly. Dr. Deaton smiled lightly as he put the bottles in my bag, handing it over to Stiles.

"I will see you the same time next week." He told me, "Take your pills and think about what I've said." The vet nodded to us before turning on his heels and disappearing into his office.

We stood there in the fading light in silence, burdened by all this new information and terror. Who the hell was Dr. Deaton _really_?

"So," Stiles cleared his throat awkwardly, "What now?"

It seemed we all took in a collective breath, knowing the answer.

"We tell Derek." Scott said regretfully.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>_Gahhhh! Sorry for the delay. No Derek in this chapter but he isn't far away (;  
><em>

_I__ typed up some of this yesterday and it got deleted and I was too suicidal to fix it until today. Don't you just want to destroy the world when you lose a chapter?  
><em>

_Don't be a silent reader! Comment, comment, comment!_

_I wanted to know how many people were 'subscribed' to this story (as they call it on Mibba) so I spent a good hour counting the emails of alerts I've recieved. And holy shit. There are like 140 people alerted to this story! Thanks, guys (:_

_By the way, did any of you know the vet's name was not The Vet? Because I don't remember them saying his name once in the show. I think someone called him Alan in the last episode (spoiler alert if you didn't know he was still in the show, I guess...). He was always "Scott's Boss" or "The Vet". I looked it up on Wikipedia and it said his name was Dr. Deaton. Since Wikipedia _never_ lies, I used it in this. Just a little aside in case you were wondering where I got that name. Which I'm sure you weren't._

_Anyway, enjoy. And review!_


	17. The Truth

"He's going to murder us." Stiles muttered under his breath.

"Probably." Scott agreed, terrified with what we were about to do.

"Does he know I know about everything?" I asked in a hushed whisper, staring up at the abandoned warehouse Derek was hiding out in.

I took their silence as a no.

"Wow," I whispered. "We're about to lay a bombshell on him, aren't we?"

"He's going to murder us." Stiles repeated with more certainty. He perked up suddenly, glancing at Scott. "He can hear us, right? He can hear us from inside?"

Scott listened intently, looking slightly crestfallen. "Yes, he can hear us."

"Great!" Stiles said excitedly, "So, lets run back to my jeep," (he jerked his thumb in the direction of his car) "tell it to him there and then drive away!" He looked extremely satisfied with his solution.

"I don't think that's going to go down too well." I sighed, feeling anxiety course through my veins.

"Why not?" Stiles complained.

"Because Derek's watching us." Scott answered, staring up at a broken window, seeing Derek's furious frame.

"That's not a great sign." Stiles muttered, rubbing the back of neck.

"I can't do this." I panicked, stepping backwards quickly. "We don't need his help. We'll be okay." Oh, my denial.

"I don't want to do this anymore than you, Cassie," Scott agreed, "But, I can't protect you by myself."

Stiles throw up his hands, looking offended, "What am I? Miss Daisy?"

"Hoke Colburn." I muttered.

Stiles stared at me, confused. "What?"

"Miss Daisy was the one being driven." I corrected, staring at the open door to the building, "You're Hoke Colburn."

Stiles mulled that over as Scott and I stepped forward, making our way to the door.

"Miss Daisy or not, I'm still offended by your lack of respect for what I bring to the table!" He called after us. I could hear him scowling obscenities under his breath before following us into the warehouse.

The first word that came to mind was dusty when we entered the warehouse. Then next one was—

"Decrepit." Stiles murmured, "Why does Derek insist on living in places that are most likely haunted?"

"Why don't you ask him yourself." Scott told his friend staring up at a ledge above us. Derek quickly jumped down the stairs. I braced myself for the impact.

"What the hell is she doing here?" Derek seethed, glaring at Scott as he nodded to me. "She's one of them. She's an Argent."

"Is that why you haven't bothered to call me?" I asked in disgust. "Because I'm an Argent?" I shook my head, feeling one of those quick mood swings.

Derek pursed his lips. His blue eyes alight with anger. Well, I was a little angry too.

"Well, now that this is incredibly awkward," Stiles spoke up, "We should talk about the hybrid in the room."

I gaped at Stiles with a mixture of astonishment and fury.

Scott didn't seem to have words to scold his crass friend.

"What are you talking about?" Derek demanded, shoving his hands in his leather jacket, making his way down the rest of the stairs and stopping a few feet from us.

I couldn't help the blush that covered my face as he stared at me with those smoldering eyes, flashing back to the night that got me in this mess.

I was also remembering the not-so kind words we exchanged in our last conversation.

_I'm sorry I led you on like that. I was just lonely and it had been awhile._

I could feel tears welling up just thinking about it. I looked away, choking on the lump lodged in my throat.

Scott, realizing I wasn't in the position to speak and not wanting Stiles to take the reins on this one, spoke up quickly. "We need your help."

Derek chuckled coldly, "With what?"

"It's complicated." Scott muttered, glancing over at me. I should be the one to tell Derek, I knew I should.

I was just too weak, too much of a coward.

"No thanks." Derek replied carelessly, turning around to walk back up the stairs.

"I-I'm pregnant." I croaked, sniffling lightly as the tears fell. Derek froze in place as I slumped down on a dusty crate behind me.

It was like time stood still. Nobody moved, nobody breathed, nobody spoke. I could hear everyone's heartbeat drumming rapidly, waiting for Derek's next move.

He whirled around, animalistic fury apparent on his face. "Congrats." He spat, "Go tell the father."

I furrowed my thin brows, trying to speak. "Are you—You _are_ the father!"

Derek clenched his jaw, smiling only with his lips. "You know what I am, right?"

"Yes," I breathed.

"Then you know how much of a liar you are." Derek said simply, his eyes full of hate for some reason, "You're not a werewolf. Therefore, it's not my kid and you're not my problem."

"Derek," Scott interjected, "We can't explain it either, but it's yours."

Derek shook his head in denial, "Scott, I know you're new to this, but Cassies lying to you. She's been slutting around town and now she wants to blame it on me."

I didn't know what to say. It was such a low blow, I never expected him to act this way. I knew he wouldn't react well, but this? This was worse than I could have imagined. Hearing him interact so coldly and hatefully to me made me wish he would break something or go wolf.

"Derek," Stiles cried, "C'mon, dude. That's not cool."

Derek slammed Stiles up against the door behind us, dust pluming everywhere. I jumped, alarmed by Derek's outburst. Scott grabbed Derek, trying to pry him off as Stiles struggled to breath.

"Derek! Stop it, _you're hurting him_!" Scott bellowed. He was no match for Derek in his anger.

I stood up, unsure what I could possibly do to match two werewolves' power.

I grabbed Derek's arm, "Derek, _let go_." I pleaded. He looked down at me with so much disgust that I released my grip.

Derek released Stiles and backed up, peering at all three of us. His bright blue eyes looked so confused and hurt. It hit me with horrid realization that his eyes were starting to water up.

"Get out." He uttered dangerously.

"Derek—" Scott started.

"GET OUT!" Derek yelled. His eyes flashed bright blue, his canines looking pointier than usual.

I cowered backwards; terrified he was going to physically hurt me. Stiles looked like he really wanted to listen to Derek but Scott was determined to help me.

I wasn't sure why Scott was trying so hard. Before now, Scott and I had barely spoken ten words to each other.

"No." Scott said simply, stepping towards the elder wolf. "We need your help."

It happened so fast Stiles barely had time to get me out of the way. Scott and Derek entered some kind of werewolf brawl, chucking each other across the room, doing serious damage to the room as well as themselves.

"Stop it!" I begged, Stiles gripping me tightly as we watched in horror. We were powerless in this fight. "Stop it! _Please_!"

"Derek, we're not lying!" Stiles shouted, not looking particularly brave. "Trust me—We _know_ how insane this sounds! We just spent the last hour with the vet and even_ he_ doesn't know what to make of it! Could you at least listen to us for _five-freaking-seconds_ because Cassie is in some _serious_ shit right now and you kind of had a big hand in it!"

Stiles was redeeming himself. I could seriously have kissed him. But, somehow I restrained myself.

Scott pinned Derek down, his chest heaving with the amount of energy and force it took to incapacitate him. Derek looked over at us helplessly, blood trickling out the corner of his mouth.

"You can tell when people are lying, right?" Stiles questioned, lightening his grip on me. "Ask Cassie if she's telling the truth, if she's been 'slutting' around."

Derek pursed his defined lips and stared into my eyes, "Are you telling the truth?" I could tell he didn't want to know the answer. "Is it mine?" He didn't want this.

I didn't blame him.

I took in a deep breath, "Yes, Derek. It's yours."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>_Well, that didn't go well.__  
>Derek knows! Oh, shit. (:<br>I'm a devious writer, leaving it on that cliffhanger (kinda?).  
>More Derek in the next chapter? I think so (;<br>REVIEW!  
>I'm so excited for Teen Wolf tonight, you don't even know. You don't even know!<br>Is it weird that I laugh when I read the things Stiles says when I'm the one writing them? I think it might be..._


	18. Ten Minutes Alone

Derek didn't seem to have a response. His face went blank as Scott decided it was fairly safe to let him up.

No one spoke again for a few moments. Stiles looked on the verge of a heart attack. I fell back onto the dusty crate, feeling exhaustion take over again.

I needed to take those pills Dr. Deaton had given me. I could feel myself losing energy just sitting still.

"Cassie?" Scott's worried voice echoed in my mind. "Cassie? Are you okay?"

My eye lids were becoming heavy. It was just like what happened at school a few days ago. I felt myself tip over. Someone caught me before I hit the floor.

Derek's scent overpowered my nose: the smell of leather and aftershave. It was inviting and warm.

"Cassie?" Derek asked worriedly. I found my footing, the feeling of falling unconscious had vanished. I looked at him questioningly.

"I almost just passed out." I frowned.

"So, why didn't you?" Stiles asked suspiciously. I could practically see the gears turning in his mind, trying to figure this out.

"I don't know." I replied honestly. Derek dropped his arms quickly, sauntering backwards, pretending like he hadn't just saved me. He regained his stoic composure almost at once.

"Awesome." Stiles muttered exasperatedly, "Another unexplained side effect of you two procreating!" He pointed between Derek and me.

"I need to talk to Cassie." Derek decided grudgingly. When Scott and Stiles didn't move, he added, "_alone_."

"Oh!" Stiles exclaimed like he had never heard of people needing to speak alone before. "Right. Gotcha."

"And that means you need to get into your crappy jeep and drive away." Derek told them.

"But—" Scott began to argue.

"Alone means you need to be far enough away not to eavesdrop." Derek scowled menacingly. Stiles gulped dramatically, patting Scott's chest.

"Let's go, buddy, before he decides against letting us live." He whispered frantically. Scott didn't seem to want to leave but saw no other alternative.

"We'll be back in ten minutes." He promised, noting the weary look on my face. "And if you hurt her, there's a whole family of Argents just waiting to get their hands on you." Scott threatened Derek.

Derek rolled his eyes, waiting for Scott and Stiles to disappear. With one last fleeting look, they vanished behind the metal door. Derek and I stood awkwardly, quite a few feet apart, waiting for the jeep's engine to die away.

Even when all that was between us was dead silence, Derek still refused to talk. It was only when I finally glanced up at him I realized he was struggling to find the words to say.

"How—"

"I don't know how it happened." I mumbled, knowing what he was trying to say.

"Actually," Derek said, "I was trying to ask you how you were."

I peered up at him curiously, not expecting him to be so…caring? Was that the word? Five minutes ago he had been beating Scott bloody and now he was questioning my well-being. Talk about emotional whiplash.

"I don't know the answer to that either." I finally answered, heaving a heavy sigh.

More silence.

"Sorry." He muttered so quietly I almost didn't catch it.

I frowned, standing up straighter, "For?"

A cold, mirthless laugh fell from his thin lips. "Where do I start?"

"The beginning is always a good place." I joked mildly. That caused him to smirk lightly for a fleeting moment.

"You're taking this surprisingly well." He commented casually.

"I guess I'm well-adjusted." I muttered, "I could say the same for you."

"I'm a werewolf. You'd be hard pressed to find something that surprises me."

I snorted softly, glad that he wasn't yelling at me or breaking stuff. I enjoyed this approach much better.

"You're a werewolf." I echoed mechanically.

Derek scrutinized my face, most likely waiting for me to break apart. "How much did Scott tell you?"

"Most likely the most rudimentary stuff." I answered, crossing my arms. "You wanna fill in the blanks?"

He pursed his lips, "What do you know?"

"You're a werewolf. Scott's a werewolf. I'm not a werewolf. I'm pregnant with some werewolf hybrid like a cliché teen fiction character. My parents are werewolf hunters—Scratch that, my entire family is. Werewolves are real and some 'Alpha' is probably going to come after to me for God knows why." I threw my head back, chortling lightly in disgust as I tried to get my eyes to stop watering. "And this is just some fucked up pregnancy to go on top of my fucked up life—" I couldn't go on. My throat choked up painfully, silencing me. I placed my head in my shaky hands, wishing Derek would go away so I could finally have a good cry.

I gasped in a deep breath as warm arms engulfed me. Derek allowed me to sob into his jacket, not uttering a word. He simply held me as I cried which was probably the only thing he could have done at the moment. It was like I was trapped in some horrifying nightmare. Sobs wracked my tiny frame as I managed to stifle a few screams.

"_Cassie_," Derek whispered, "_Shh_, you're okay. I've got you."

I sniffled, trying to regain my composure, thoroughly embarrassed I had just snotted all over Derek. "I-I'm sorry." I croaked, pushing myself away.

But, he did the last thing I would have ever expected Derek to do. He held me tighter against his body, rubbing my back soothingly until I could fully end my mental break down. Even once I held pulled myself together, he held on and I didn't complain.

It was with deep regret that I pulled away. We still needed to talk.

"Thanks." I said placidly. He shrugged nonchalantly. Scott and Stiles would probably be back any second.

"I figured a hug is probably the least I could do." He said honestly. My lips curled into a half smile.

"Probably."

"Obviously, you're not okay." Derek started, "But, how—how's the—it?" It was kind of adorable the way he stuttered painfully about the baby.

"Healthy as far as I know." I said evasively.

Derek eyed me suspiciously. "Care to elaborate?"

"Technically, I'm five weeks." I muttered tightly. He waited impatiently for me to go on. "But, according to Dr. Deaton, the baby's…ten weeks." I said the last part as quickly and quietly as I could.

Derek looked like he hadn't quite caught what I said or didn't believe his ears. "What?"

"I have to take these pills like ten times a day and get some shots. I have to see Deaton every week." I went on briskly.

He nodded, "Okay, I got that. But, what was the first thing?"

"I'm five weeks?" I asked hopefully, knowing full well what he really wanted clarified.

"No, Cassie," He warned, "_After_ that."

"Uhm—" My mouth felt suddenly dry, "I'm ten weeks along."

He seemed to be listening for something. Maybe to see if I was lying. After a few seconds he gawked from my nervous face to my stomach. _"What?"_

"Don't make me say it again." I murmured desperately.

"Cassie!" Derek cried, his face locked in complete shock. "How can you _possibly_ be ten weeks along if it's mine?"

"Please don't start that again." I begged, feeling my eyes burn again, "Deaton said it's a side effect of not being a wolf. My body's not equipped to handle this so it's accelerating the process or something…" I finished in a small voice as Derek became even more disgruntled.

"Or _something_?" He asked incredulously, "Cassie, this is serious! Your body's not equipped to handle this, it could kill you!"

"So everyone keeps saying." I groused.

"If everyone's telling you, you have to listen, Cassie!" Derek cried, "You need to stop this, you have to—"

"Get rid of it?" I finished for him, water spilling from my eyes at the thought. He wanted me to kill our child? _His_ child? "No." I said defiantly. "I won't do it."

"Don't be stubborn." Derek said fiercely, "This is serious, Cassie. You could die!"

_"Could."_ I pointed out. "Not will."

"Is it really worth waiting to find out?" He demanded, "Is this really worth killing yourself over?"

I furrowed my brows in bewilderment. Was he asking me to kill the baby for him or _because_ of him?

I searched his face, seeing that man that I had slept with weeks ago. His electrifying eyes pierced into me, bright and desperate. Derek willed me to give in, to do what he wanted. But, it wasn't that easy.

"Yes," I breathed, "Yes it is."

Derek shook his head, the muscles in his jaw rippled from clenching tightly. "Why?" He begged softly.

"Because," I answered, "I care about you."

It was cliché and stupid. But, it was true.

"Because it's worth it," I went on, "Even if you don't think you're worth it, you are. Living in solitude, cut off from the world, what kind of life is that?"

"The kind of life a monster lives." He angrily spat, "The kind of life you'll be forced to live if you go through with this! Your family—they won't be so understanding. I'm the thing you'll be trained to hunt and kill in a few years time. If you survive this—this pregnancy, they could have to kill you or the baby! Don't you see that you have so much to lose here, Cassie? Don't be so stupid and naive! There is no happily ever after for me, for us! This is not some cute fairy tale—this is life or death, this is the real world! The harsh reality is we can't be together, you can't have this baby."

I stood there stunned, unsure how to feel. On one hand, he was worried for my safety, for my life. On the other, he was fully rejecting me, telling me to leave and not let the door hit me on the way out.

I willed myself not to break down again because I wasn't so sure he'd be as kind and sensitive this time around. Stiles' jeep was making its way back down the gravel path. I glanced out the window, seeing them speed to us like they were being chased by something.

I turned back to face Derek's expectant face. It was begging me to see reason.

"I'm having this baby, Derek." I said defiantly, "Help me or don't. That's up to you."

Derek looked at me with so much pain in his eyes that I almost wanted to take it back.

But, I didn't. I held my ground and waited.

He let out a deep, tired breath and said, "You're a child, you know that, right?"

I didn't respond. His hungry eyes rummaged my face, looking for any doubts.

I had none. This was a stupid decision. I knew that. But, I wasn't taking it back.

"Okay," He finally broke, "I'll help."

My lips grew into a full grin that caused him to roll his eyes.

"I don't know what you're so satisfied with." He muttered, fighting a smile of his own despite himself, "This is a terrible idea."

Without warning, I lifted onto my tippy toes and pecked my lips against his quickly before stepping back. Derek seemed stunned for a moment.

"Thank you," I told me, "For everything."

"I'm the reason we're in this mess." He shrugged (though his cheeks were suspiciously redder than usual), "I'm just doing my job."

I nodded, biting back my smug smile, feeling victorious. The boys had arrived in front of the warehouse. Our ten minutes were up.

"I gotta go," I gestured to the jeep, "Before they actually do something stupid like call my dad."

Something flashed in Derek's eyes but he didn't speak. I turned around to grab the door handle when Derek whipped me around, planting his lips on mine. We stood there for a few moments, embracing and kissing before Stiles honked impatiently.

I was breathing pretty heavily while Derek seemed unfazed. He placed his forehead against mine, "Be safe, Cassie. We'll figure this out."

I nodded again, "I know."

He placed his lips upon my forehead lightly before turning around, disappearing before my eyes.

Suddenly, keeping this baby didn't seem like such a bad thing after all.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> _Stayed up until two to write this._

_I kind of adore Derek in this (:_

_And Stiles is always precious, no matter how little he's in it haha._

_Derek's on board. Cassie and Derek are speaking again. Yay!_

_But, I feel an Alpha chapter coming on...muahahaha._

_REVIEW, please (;_


	19. Missing

Allison stared at me expectantly, "Well?" She emphasized.

I quickly glanced around the busy hall. No one would notice or over hear our conversation; I didn't know why I was so paranoid.

"No, I have told my parents yet." I muttered, feeling slightly annoyed at Allison badgering me over this. "I'm trying to take this one step at a time." I said under my breath.

Allison shook her head, trying to understand why I was trying to keep this such a big secret. "Will you at least talk to _me_ about it?" She pleaded, staring at me with her big brown eyes. "Cassie, _please_ talk to me."

She was so desperate to grasp what was going on. But, where did I begin? It was hard enough to talk about this to people who knew the whole story.

If I revealed that I slept with Derek, all Allison would hear was _"I slept with a human serial murderer and am pregnant with his baby"_ when I was _really_ saying _"I slept with a brooding misunderstood werewolf whose been framed for murders he didn't commit and is risking everything to help me with our hybrid child"._

That was a fine line to walk.

Entirely too many people knew about this already and only because they _had_ to. Derek was a given. Scott and Stiles knew what was going on before I even suspected anything. Dr. Deaton was also another given.

I should tell Allison, I should tell my parents. But, Argents were hunters and the thing they hunted was inside me now. Things weren't so simple.

As if telling your parents you were going to be a teen mom was easy to do in the most normal of situations…

I caught Scott watching me from down the hall, standing at Stiles' locker. He had been keeping a close eye on me these past couple days as if the Alpha was just going to burst into school while it was in session and do something. I didn't know the Alpha personally, but he seemed pretty smart (considering _no one_ knew who he was). Breaking into school to get me seemed pretty moronic, especially with hunters swarming the town.

"Alli," I sighed, brushing my hand through my messy locks, "I'll tell my parents when I'm ready."

Which—honestly—would be never. But, that probably wasn't an option. They would find me if I ran away. And if I _did_ run away, they would hurt Derek. I couldn't let that happen.

Allison opened her mouth to respond but Lydia came crashing in with exciting news, "The dance is back on!" She was practically dancing in glee.

"What?" I said, "Why?"

"Well," Lydia told me, "Apparently since Allison's dad gunned down the little bastard in the school parking lot last night, the threat of the mountain lion is gone. Hence, dance may resume."

"Your dad killed a mountain lion yesterday?" I questioned. Allison looked thoroughly embarrassed.

"It was after parent-teacher conferences." She answered, "Which you didn't go to."

"I was tired." I said simply. That was true; I still slept a lot with all the medication I was taking. "And I'm not failing anything, why should I have to go?"

Allison shrugged, "For the principle of the thing."

"Yeah, well," Lydia brought the conversation back to herself, "The dance is back on and we're going dress shopping. No buts—" She cut me off.

I pursed my lips. I wasn't even going to the dance, why should I have to go shopping?

"We're all going. Who are you taking?" Lydia asked me, knowing Allison would be taking Scott.

"No one. I'm not going." I said defiantly.

Lydia rolled her eyes, "No self-respecting friend of mine is missing this dance. Popular people don't miss dances. _It's social suicide_." She scoffed.

Teenage pregnancy was also social suicide but I was keeping that on the down low.

I didn't answer, only stood silently fuming at Lydia's stubbornness.

"When are we going?" Allison humored Lydia.

"Tomorrow." She decided immediately, "Tonight we watch the quarter-finals for lacrosse."

And watch the quarter-finals we did.

Stiles was supposed to be first line tonight. He had gushed all about it in last period. I was happy for the kid; finally he was getting his time to shine.

But, Stiles never showed.

He missed the game, missed his chance to impress Lydia.

Scott made eye contact with me a few times during the game. He was worried for his friend and no matter how many times I called Stiles, he never picked up.

I was worried, too. It wasn't like Stiles to miss anything. Stiles was always so dependable. So, where was he?

It was madness when Beacon Hills won. Allison and I pushed through the unruly crowd, searching for Scott (though for different reasons). Allison wanted to congratulate Scott on his amazing performance. I needed to talk about Stiles.

Once we made it to the hallway to the locker room where everyone was conversing and celebrating. Scott was peering around frantically, calling out Stiles' name when Allison reached him. I lagged back, waiting until they were done to pounce.

As I stayed by the door, a flash of light went off, causing me to jump. I glanced to my right to see a boy in his lacrosse uniform with a camera covering his face.

His brought it down to reveal a cute, boyish face with blue eyes and messy brown hair. "Sorry," He grinned lightly, "Couldn't resist."

I forced a close lipped smile, "The lighting in here is awful. It won't come out good."

The boy's smile widened, "I think it'll be perfect."

I wished Scott and Allison would hurry up. I was starting to feel slightly uncomfortable.

"You're Cassie, right?" He asked, fiddling with his camera, "Cassie Argent?"

"Um—Yeah. Do I know you?" I rubbed the back of my neck, bouncing lightly on my toes.

He shook his head, chuckling, "Nah. We're not exactly in the same social circle."

"Oh," I said awkwardly, "Since you're already know all there is to know about me, mind telling me who you are?"

"Matt," He answered, his blue eyes lighting up. They reminded me of Derek's.

"Well, I should go, Matt." I said, noticing Allison's dad staring suspiciously at me.

"See you around, Cassie." Matt called as I walked away quickly, not particularly wanting to see Matt around.

"Who was that?" Chris demanded, starring daggers into the back of Matt's retreating form.

"Just some kid." I mumbled as Allison caught her father's eye. She said goodbye to Scott as some lacrosse boy started yelling some chant about state.

Now was my chance.

"Oh no," I muttered. Chris glanced over at me questioningly. "I totally forgot to have Stiles type up our reflection paper on this project we're working on together." I smacked my hand to my forehead for dramatic effect.

"I don't see him here." Chris told me.

"Can I stick around and look for him? He can give me a ride." I begged, "This is really important!"

As Allison inched closer, Chris sighed, "Fine. But, you call your father and tell him where you'll be and how long."

"I promise."

That had been too easy. I quickly dodged Allison, knowing that the only thing she had to say to me lately was to tell my parents about the baby.

The hall was emptying out rapidly when I grabbed Scott and we made our way down the hall, stopping by a set of stairs. Scott tried to get me to come in the boys' locker room but I refused with a disgusted look on my face.

"We need to talk in private." I told him, "And there are sweaty, naked boys in there." My nose wrinkled in disdain.

"Like you haven't seen a naked boy before." Scott pointedly peered down at my stomach. I bit back my retort, rolling my eyes.

"Hilarious. You know what I haven't seen?" I sassed, "Stiles. Where the hell is he? All I heard today was how excited he was to play and now he's MIA. Where is he, Scott?"

"I don't know!" Scott cried, "I have no idea where he is! Did you call him?"

"Yes I called him. Only about fifty times!" I stressed.

"I'm sure he's fine." Scott said mostly to himself, "Wait out here. I have to shower and change. I'll be back in fifteen."

I sighed, slumping onto the stairs across from the locker rooms that led up to the mat room for wrestling. "Hurry."

Scott hopped off to the locker rooms, leaving me all alone in the deserted hall.

In small packs, the lacrosse boys, freshly showered and ready to celebrate, popped out of the locker room, relaying the best moves and hooting obnoxiously. Most of them ignored me sitting in solitude. A few smiled or nodded, knowing who I was because of Lydia and Allison though never actually holding a conversation with me.

Danny came out with his lacrosse equipment strapped to his chest, shaking his drying black hair. He noticed me sitting alone on the stairs and made his way to me, leaning against the metal rail.

"See anything you like?" He grinned, raising his thin, dark brows mischievously.

I couldn't help myself from snorting. "I bet you see a lot of what you like down there."

He shrugged nonchalantly, "Being on the lacrosse team has its perks."

"I'm sure." I bit my lips, getting impatient. "Did you see Scott down there?"

Danny nodded, "Yeah, he just got in the shower. You need a ride?"

"Thanks but Scott's giving me one." I told him.

Danny nodded again, "Alright. See you tomorrow, Cassie." And he sauntered down the hall and out to the parking lot.

I tapped my foot along to some invisible music, laying my heavy head in my hands. Periodically, I checked the clock, waiting anxiously for Scott's return.

The lights flickered before going out altogether. I glanced around, my heart automatically jumping to my throat.

"S-Scott?" I called thickly, "Stiles?"

No answer. I couldn't hear the shower anymore. Where was Scott?

Slowly and stealthily, I picked myself off the bottom steps and shuffled over to the locker room door, wishing I had taken Danny up on his offer.

I swallowed hard, pushing open the squeaky door, hearing voices speaking calmly, "Scott?"

The voices silenced as I entered the room. It looked empty. The only sound was the ceiling fan whirling above me. I crept my way around the corner, closing in on the showers. My heart rate was sky high, even I could hear it.

I had my back up against the wall, ready to turn around and scream at Scott for scaring me like this when a cool, chilling voice called to me.

"Ah, Cassidy," A man with half his face burned smiled knowingly, like he had been waiting patiently for me all night, "I think it's time I formally introduced myself. I'm Peter Hale, your baby daddy's uncle."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> _Alpha time.  
>I feel like Danny never gets any love in FF. I think he's adorable (:<br>New character. Creepy camera boy = Matt.  
>So, I think this story is coming to an end...Maybe five chapters left? We'll see how it goes. It might be more, might be less.<br>But, here's the good news, I've got a sequel planned! Yay or nay? Lemme know.  
>I just have to say, shit is about to go down and you'll probably want a sequel or you'll stab me. Hehe...<br>I'm trying to get as many chapters out as I can. I leave for dance camp next Friday (yes, it's that time of the year) and then I'm leaving for the east coast again for, like, three weeks. Which means I might not be able to update for three weeks! ):  
>I'm going to beg my parents to let me bring my computer so I can write in the car and update at hotels or family houses. We'll so how that goes. But, I swear to God if I miss a single episode of Teen Wolf, someone is going to have Jackson unleashed on their ass.<br>Any who. That was a really long AN. Sorry about that. I gave you a lot to think about. Thoughts? OMG moments? Sequel? Just have a lot of feelings? Write them in the review box. This story is at 110! AHHH! (:_

_Special thanks to snickerzNjeLLybeanz for being lucky #100! But, you guys are all awesome!_


	20. Punishment

I hadn't realized I was holding my breath until Peter touched me lightly on the shoulder.

"I know, I'm breathtaking," He smirked, "But there's so need to pass out. I just want to ask you something."

I glanced wide-eyed at Scott who looked just as terrified and confused as I felt. I felt my heart falter a little when I saw Derek standing in the darkness, arms crossed and no emotion on his face. I begged him silently to help me but he didn't look at me once.

"Cassie," Peter repeated my name tauntingly, "I'm not the bad guy."

I opened my mouth to respond but he cut me off.

"I can hear the lie in your heartbeat." Peter muttered, staring intently at my rising chest, "Spare us."

I swallowed, feeling tears well up foolishly in my eyes. My vision was slightly glazed over as I bounced my gaze from Scott to Derek to Peter. "What do you want from me?" I whispered in a small voice.

Peter stepped closer to me. As a reflex, I jerked back from his extending hand. My obvious disgust didn't seem to stop him. He played with my hair as he said sweetly, "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm only hurting the people responsible."

"R-Responsible for what?" I gulped, wishing he would step far, far away from me.

Peter peeled his hand from my hair and placed it on one side of his face, caressing it lightly. _"Everything."_

I shuttered at his touch, regretting coming in here. "What do you want from me?" I repeated, shutting my eyes.

"I think you know." He sighed tiredly. "You know exactly what I want."

I did. I just hoped I was wrong.

"The baby." I whimpered, opening my eyes as he leaned in, putting a hand on my stomach. I felt nauseas.

Peter smiled blissfully. "Yes," He breathed in deeply before stepping back. "I'm going to make this quite simple. I will ask you once, and once only."

I swallowed the lump rising in my throat stressfully.

"Will you give me the baby once it is born?" Peter asked peacefully. It didn't seem as though it would matter much if I said no to him. He had a look on his face like he would get me to say yes eventually and that was more terrifying than anything.

"No," I said in as steady of a voice as I could muster.

"Cassie," Derek spoke up for the first time. I looked up at him hopefully but his face gave me anything but comfort. He was glaring hatefully at me, like he couldn't believe I was saying no to his uncle. Didn't he realize what he would do to our kid? Probably turn it into some killer for his purposes, make it one of his pack.

I didn't want that for anyone, least of all my kid.

"No," I repeated with more vigor. Derek looked pained and disgusted. Why couldn't he understand? Why was he suddenly siding with Peter? Hadn't he murdered his sister in cold blood to become the Alpha?

"I'm sorry to hear that, Cassie." Peter sighed expectantly, "Very sorry."

I didn't like the way he said it, like I was about to pay for my refusal.

"We should go." Peter said carelessly over his shoulder. Scott stood there, unsure of what to do. Derek nodded curtly and followed Peter without another word.

"Derek?" I called into the darkness. There was no answer. He was gone.

I didn't understand. He was on board and now he hated me again. I couldn't do this without him, he knew that. The Alpha knew that. He was going to make sure I had no other choice but to give the baby to him.

Scott and I stood in silence, staring at each other in shock when the locker room doors burst open behind us, revealing a very sweaty and out of breath Stiles.

"You guys, we have a big problem!" He announced, leaning on his knees to catch his breath.

"Trust me," Scott said fearfully,_ "We know."_

* * *

><p>Stiles dropped me off. I had called my dad like Chris had told me to. He was out. Probably hunting but he would never tell me that.<p>

There were too many secrets in this family.

I pushed open my front door. No lights were on. It was too early for my mom to be asleep. Was she out too?

"Mom?" I called tentively into the empty house. "Mom, are you home?"

No answer.

I sighed, swallowing back the stressful tears that always seemed ready to fall. I turned on the hall light and saw red. Bile rose in my throat. All I could smell was something metallic-y.

"M-Mom?" I whimpered, edging down the hall. Bloody handprints slid down the hall. There were small pools of blood leading me somewhere. _"Mom, answer me!"_ I almost screamed.

Where was my father?

I closed my eyes, gripping the corner of the wall, bracing myself to what I was about to see. I let out a deep shaky breath, wanting to run screaming. But, I was braver than that. Or at least I pretended to be.

I might as well keep the charade up.

I forced myself around the corner and heard screaming. The bloodcurdling screams echoed in my empty house, chilling me to the core, worse than what I was seeing.

I was too wrapped up to realize that _I_ was the one screaming. I couldn't move, I couldn't feel. I was frozen in place.

With great will power, I threw myself onto my knees in front of the crumpled lump that was my mother.

But, she wasn't my mother. My mother was alive and breathing. This woman—who looked eerily similar—was shred to pieces, bleeding all over the new cream carpet.

My mother would never let anyone step on this carpet with so much as a dirty toe. She would never bleed on it.

A shaky hand rose to my mouth, trying to silence the screams but it was no use. My mother's dull, lifeless eyes looked up at me, as if to scold me for being so loud and emotional. But, they didn't. They didn't see me, not really. Dead people can't see.

_And my mother was dead._

Multiple lines ran down my mother, like something with big claws had come in here and cut her up. It had to be painful. It was probably slow.

Blood spilt out all over the floor, staining my hands as I uselessly tried to stem the bleeding. The jean fabric on my knees was getting saturated in it.

Her body was still warm. If I had just come home sooner instead of talk to Scott and Stiles this wouldn't have happened.

If I had only said yes to Peter this wouldn't have happened. This was my payment for my refusal.

This was all my fault. My mother was dead because of me. _Murdered._

I turned away from the body just in time to vomit. Oh, how she would have scolded me if she saw this. But, she would never scold me again. I would give anything to be reprimanded by her one last time.

I was still screaming. In between the hyperventilation and shrieks of panic, I heard slamming on my door. A muffled voice shouted something before the front door burst open.

My neighbor appeared with a look of utter shock, _"Oh, dear God."_

I vocalized some nonsense, having no control over anything anymore.

"I'll call nine-one-one!" He announced, pulling out his phone.

My mother didn't need 911. She needed a coroner. There was nothing anyone could do now.

I leaned my forehead against her shoulder, feeling the warm liquid touch it. I wept into her lifeless appendage. I felt like my insides had been ripped out like my mother's.

I wanted to die too.

"An ambulance is on its way." My neighbor reassured me, coming up behind me to take me away from my mother. I screamed at her some more, fighting her off. "It's going to be okay, Cassie." He promised.

I stopped struggling to stare straight into his alert and petrified eyes. How could he even think something like that, let alone voice it? Nothing was ever going to be okay again. My mother was murdered and it was all my fault. Everything was my fault.

I wished I could take my mother's place. She didn't deserve this cruel death. I did.

My head was pounding, I couldn't stop sobbing and shouting for my father. My neighbor tried to comfort me but it was no use. I was too far gone.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>_So. Hi._

_I guess I should explain? I needed a break. When someone tears you down so hard that you're terrified to come on here and read comments and PMs, it's a horrible feeling. I wanted to stop writing. I wanted to delete everything I'd ever written. So, I took a step back. I went on vacation and swore off . I finished this story despite myself, it's just taken me this long to build up the courage to come back to this site and post it. I think I'm just going to put up the rest of the story for those of you who like this story (if there are any of you left). But, after that, I just don't know. I don't want to live in terror of being torn down by my work before I've written something that isn't fanfiction. I'm never going to write real teen vampire/werewolf stories. I have ideas. Good ideas I'd like to think but when I come on here and people have written 1000+ worded PMs of hate and disgust at my stories, it makes me never want to write again. I shouldn't have to feel that way. Writing is a hobby; it's a release from my stressful life. It's really all I have when I'm not at school or dance._

_It wasn't just the fact that they were so hurtful and brutal, it was that they were right. I had already been wavering on this story. I didn't like the direction it was going but it was the story a dumb sixteen year old had created the first season of Teen Wolf and I didn't really have any other plans for it. People seemed to like it so I continued it. If I'm being honest, I always expected to come on here and hear people rave about it. That's a silly dream. I needed constructive criticism. Maybe if I had gotten gentler criticism earlier on, I could have salvaged this story. But, I didn't. And now I hate this story like those people who sent hurtful messages and reviews._

_So, for those of you who still enjoy reading this story, I'll post the last few chapters but I think that will be it. I might continue my Stiles story and Hunger Games but I just don't know. School is coming back and with the schedule I have, it's unlikely I'll have any time to sit down and write. This might just have to be a thing of the past. I'm sorry for those of you who are disappointed in this, in me. But, I need to be happy and if this isn't making me happy, I need to stop and live my life else where. _


	21. The Funeral

I sat alone in my room. I had been sitting up straight and still for so long my back was starting to ache.

We had to leave but I didn't want to move.

My gaze wandered to the photo on my nightstand for the umpteenth time. It was one of our few family photos that we were all smiling in. It wasn't that we were unhappy, just more reserved. I had ranked nationally in archery that night. We were celebrating.

It only reminded me that I hadn't touched my bow in weeks. And that I would never hear my mother laugh again. I would only see her in photographs. She was gone.

My eyes burned as I stared at the photo but I was out of tears.

A faint knock came from my door. I jerked my head towards it as Kate walked in. She was dressed in a tight black dress with matching heels.

"Do you need some help?" She asked gently, making her way to my sitting form.

I stared down at my own black dress. I had slipped it on but been too lazy to zip it up. It was a little tight. For a second I wondered why but then remembered I was pregnant. This seemed so trivial with all that had happened. I hadn't taken my medication in days.

I stood up in front of the mirror on my closet as Kate got behind me. Her hair was curled and she had makeup on. She looked beautiful. When I looked at myself, I felt ashamed. My hair was pulled back messily; I barely put on any mascara and hadn't even tried to hide the bags under my eyes.

I was a wreck. I was too tired and numb to care.

With slight difficulty, Kate zipped the dress up.

"I guess I should get more active." The words croaked out of my dry mouth but I didn't remember thinking them.

Kate pursed her lips and looked me up and done, lingering on my stomach.

"Why don't you start up archery again?" She suggested, pulled the hair band out and smoothed my hair.

"I think I will." I decided just to have something to say.

Kate smiled, showing me her pretty, white teeth, "That's my girl."

That felt a little crass to say considering my mother had died four days ago.

"I think you know that a mountain lion didn't murder your mother, right?" Kate said suddenly. Her face was serious but there was a slight maddening edge to it.

There was no reason to lie. Kate would know. I was sick of lying anyway. Maybe if we had all been truthful from the start my mother would still be alive.

"Yes," I said curtly. Kate braided my hair quickly as she spoke.

"Do you know what did it?" Kate questioned.

"Not a mountain lion." I answered. She smiled tightly.

"I think it's time you learned something about our family." She said in a quiet but clear voice, "Something you should have learned a long time ago."

I gulped as she tied the band around the end of my hair.

"After dress shopping with Allison tomorrow," She stared at me through the mirror, "we are all going to have a little chat."

The last thing I wanted to do was go to the dumb formal. The second to last was shop for a dress for the dumb formal. No one seemed to be listening to a word I told them, though.

"Okay," I nodded, standing up and thanking Kate.

"We should go." She said solemnly. "They're all waiting for you."

I followed her downstairs. The living room was crowded and silent. Everyone _had_ been waiting for me.

I didn't meet anyone's eye as I descended the stairs. It was too painful to look at my father's face. I felt like I was reminding him of the wife he had just lost. I was always being told I looked like her.

As soon as I hit the ground floor, Allison's hand found mine and she squeezed it comfortingly. One look at her face and I could tell she had been crying. I didn't have any consoling words to give her so I stayed silent as we all exited the house and piled into black SUV's.

The drive was short and uncomfortable. I knew most of the people were hunters but Allison had no idea who they were. She didn't question it though. We were good little Argents. We never questioned anything.

I stretched out my legs when we arrived at the cemetery. It was a bit more crowded than I thought it would be. How many hunters had shown up?

Up front, next to a balding man with white hair around the sides of his head were six empty seats.

My father led the way. Allison and I were close behind. Kate, Aunt Helena, and Uncle Chris were on our heels. As soon as we arrived up front, the bald man stood up and turned to face us.

He looked vaguely familiar, like a photograph I walked past all the time but never stopped to look at closely. He nodded at my father, embracing him lightly and muttering something.

His dark, brown eyes turned to me. There was anger in them. It was fierce and terrifying. I wanted to shrink away from this man but I held my ground. Something inside me told me not to be afraid of him. That he was going to help us.

"Hello, Cassidy," He said in a raspy sort of voice. "I'm not sure if you remember me. You were only about five the last time I saw you."

Something in my head clicked. I could see that picture focused in my mind. "Gerard." That was his name.

"Gerard. Or grandpa." His smile was small and lifeless, "Either work just fine. You've grown into a beautiful young woman."

"Thank you." I cleared my throat uncomfortably as he gave me a quick hug and moved on to the next family member.

I sat down next to my father. We hadn't spoken much since that night. I was still screaming, blithering mess when he had arrived. He told me to calm down and move away because I wouldn't let the paramedics touch her. I didn't see the logic, she was dead and there was nothing they could do.

I chanced a glance at my father. His eyes were set forward on my mother's coffin. She was too brutally ripped apart to be okay to have an open casket. The knot in my stomach twisted like it always did when I thought about how this was all my fault. The guilt was drowning me but I couldn't do anything about it.

My father noticed me staring and looked over at me briefly. His eyes were brighter than usual. I felt like I was intruding on his grieving process. The left side of his lips turned upwards lightly as he grabbed my hand. My father was never very affectionate so this simple gesture meant the world to me. And I didn't deserve the sympathetic look in his eyes.

"She's in a better place." Was all he said. I suspected it was all he _could_ say without losing it because he turned away quickly and released my hand.

I wanted to believe she was in a better place. Anywhere had to be better then here, right?

The minister spoke some mournful words. I was pretty sure he was a hunter, too. Had I always been surrounded by these people but been too blind to realize it?

The sure answer was yes because every single one of the people sitting in the cemetery looked familiar, like I'd seen them some point in my short, sad life.

One by one, people stood up to say their final goodbyes to the closed coffin. I stayed in my uncomfortable seat as everyone around me dissipated. I wasn't sure if I could talk to a coffin like I could my own mother.

So, I stayed in my chair. My shoulder was touched by various people who murmured their regrets. I just stared with an empty expression at them. Being hunters they had probably lost dozens of loved ones. They should know how I feel yet they wouldn't stop apologizing for something that was my fault.

After what felt like hours, a boy with a permanently terrified look on his face who couldn't have been much older than me came by with an older man in spectacles. He demanded the boy to do something and the boy turned away immediately.

I watched in silence as the boy got in his machine and picked up my mother's coffin. I didn't blink as he slowly—and carefully—lowered it down into its grave.

There was a soft _thud_ and I cringed. It was a small movement but the boy looked directly over to me. Once I got a good look at his face, I realized that I knew him from school. We had chemistry together. I couldn't recall his name, though.

He stared at me with his big hazel eyes, looking at me with sadness, not pity. He was the first person to look at me like that in four days. I was drowning in pity and guilt. It was nice to see some real passionate sadness for once.

He turned away on his machine and filled up the hole my mother would rest in for eternity. I gripped my hands together as the cemetery emptied out. People stopped trying to consol me.

My eyes didn't stray from the grave site as he finished up and drove away. I wanted to get up and say goodbye now.

I felt so utterly powerless and I hated it. I hated what had happened to me.

Honestly, what was I doing with my life? Seeing my mother's grave was like staring at my own mortality. Who would be next? My father? Allison? My friends? Peter would never stop until he got the baby.

_The baby_ I thought, scornfully snorting to myself.

Why was I keeping this baby? I barely knew Derek. Why was I risking my life and everyone I loved for the product of a one night stand with the monster related to the monster that killed my mother? After the encounter with Derek the night it happened, I wasn't so sure Derek didn't help out a bit.

There was nothing between Derek and I but the baby. We didn't love each other; we didn't even particularly like each other. I was raised to be a hunter and he was raised to be the thing I hunted. It was just that simple.

I felt anger and hatred bubble viciously inside me. I didn't want to be powerless. I didn't want to be helpless. I wanted Peter to pay. I wanted Peter Hale dead. And if Derek got in the way of that I couldn't be responsible for the cross fire.


	22. Formality

The escalator beneath Allison, Lydia, and I rose slowly, lifting us up into the dress department of Macy's.

I couldn't even begin to count the ways I didn't want to be here but Allison and Kate insisted.

Kate had been especially relentless about going on with my life.

_"People die."_ She had told me last night before going out with a group of hunters, _"We mourn and move on. That's life."_

They weren't the tenderest and most inspirational words I'd ever heard but I understood. There weren't many older hunters. I guessed they had a way of dying before they made it to retirement. Gerard seemed to be the only exception.

I wasn't going to simply get over my mother's death. That was going to take a long time, especially with the guilt I felt over it. But, I could put on a mask, make them think I was okay.

The first step to that was dress shopping for the formal.

Lydia was being especially generous. She was going to buy Allison and I dresses, as well as her own. I was a bit suspicious with her nice offering but Allison seemed to understand what was going on.

"I have to admit. As far as apologies go, this was a little more than I was expecting." Allison commented, staring meaningfully at Lydia. Lydia pursed her lips and shrugged nonchalantly.

"But, not as much as I'm going to ask." Allison went on. Lydia looked at her in alarm.

"What?" She readied herself to get off the escalator. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that you are going to cancel on whatever dumb, roided-up jock that you said yes to and you're are going to go with someone else." We all got off the escalator and I caught a familiar sight: Stiles.

"Who?" Lydia asked, furrowing her neatly waxed strawberry blonde brows.

Allison looked pointedly in Stiles' direction, "Him."

Stiles caught a whiff of some perfume he was spraying at the perfume station and sneezed spastically. Twice.

I couldn't help but smile.

"Oh, don't frown, Lydia,' Allison mocked, "Someone could be falling in love with your smile."

Lydia took in a deep breath as Stiles finally noticed us. He grinned and waved enthusiastically.

It made me feel a bit better knowing Stiles was here. That meant that Scott wasn't too far away. Since I was with Allison, he could know she was safe as well. In a sense, it was killing two birds with one stone for Scott.

We darted into the dress section with full force. Immediately, Lydia started piling dresses into Stiles' unwilling arms.

"Oh. So—okay," Stiles rambled, "So are you going to try all of these on right now? Is this a twenty-four hour Macy's?"

He obediently followed Lydia to the dressing room with me snickering in his wake. Allison and I had split up to look in different dress sections. I could no longer fit into a size two (or probably even four) so I ended up just wandering the aisles aimlessly.

My eyes wandered absentmindedly to the maternity section. Pretty soon I was going to have to get clothes there because my regular one's were getting tighter and tighter. I had adopted an all-sweatshirt-all-the-time policy to hide. But, eventually even my sweatshirts wouldn't be able to hide my stomach. I was truly dreading that day because it meant that I could no longer hide it from parents—or dad. And finding out that his only daughter was pregnant by a werewolf was the last thing he needed to hear after one of them murdered his wife.

I turned my head to tell Allison I was just going to sit down somewhere when I noticed she was in conversation with someone.

Her body language was tense and uncomfortable. When she shifted over an inch, I understood why.

Standing less than a foot in front of her was Peter Hale.

I felt my heart palpitate and my entire body freeze. In the past five days I had dreamt up numerous ways to exact revenge upon Peter. They were brutal, bloody, and slow.

Now that he was standing less than three yards away from me, I couldn't remember a single one, let alone move to act on them. It was pathetic, _I_ was pathetic.

_"Attention, shoppers. The owner of a Mazda, license plate: five-U-N-seven-six-eight. Your car is being towed."_ A lady over the intercom announced. Allison looked up in alarm.

"That's my car." She muttered to herself before dashing off. Peter smirked before looking in my direction. My eyes enlarged like a deer caught in headlights. I couldn't move or scream as Peter edged closer to me. He smiled that smile which was a perfect mixture of triumph and madness.

I gulped as he halted directly in front of me. I felt like I couldn't breathe.

"Hello, Cassie," His face looked surprised but I knew he wasn't. He knew I would be here. He had probably been following me since he found out I was pregnant. I still wasn't completely sure how he found out. Maybe Derek had told him.

_Derek._

"Where's your sidekick?" I growled. That white-hot anger boiled within me again. I wanted revenge so badly it was starting to consume me. If only I was strong enough to act on it.

Peter tilted his head as if to size me up, "Your boyfriend?"

"He's not my boyfriend." I seethed.

Peter shook his head like he couldn't comprehend, "You kids have a strange way of going about things. In my day, we fell in love, dated, and got married. _Then_ had the kids. I guess you two just skipped right to the end. It's like ruining a good book." He said innocently.

I didn't respond. I wanted to close my eyes and wish Peter away. If werewolves were real, why couldn't magic be, too?

"I think you know why I'm here, Cassie." Peter's evil voice flew through my unwilling ears. "I'm going to retract my prior statement and ask you _one_ last time. Will you give me the baby?"

I didn't have to think about it this time. There was too much at stake. Too many people getting hurt or dying, it was a no brainer. I knew I was going to pay the consequences later—but now I couldn't think about that. I had to make sure everyone survived the formal and the next full moon.

"Yes," I replied quietly.

Peter smiled broadly and triumphantly. There was no question in my mind he knew I would say yes. Not when there was so much at risk. He knew that. Peter Hale wasn't an idiot. He was cunning and scheming and I worried that maybe he would win this battle of Beacon Hills.

"I thought so." Peter smirked, fingering a dress next to me, "This would nice on you." I looked over nervously at a pretty, black dress. "Black has an amazing ability to hide every flaw, every truth."

I glanced at Peter's own dark appearance. Derek wore a lot of black as well.

"But, it's your formal." He chuckled like he was intruding on my dress decisions instead of my entire life, "You wear what you want to wear."

"How thoughtful." I said thickly.

"Have fun tomorrow night, Cassie." He told me seriously. "It's going to be a night to remember."

* * *

><p>Allison and I sat in her car in silence. Kate had just texted Allison to meet her somewhere with me. I was getting nervous while Allison stayed calm. She didn't know what she was getting herself into. Kate was going to reveal to us—maybe just Allison—what our family secret was and I had no idea how she intended to do so.<p>

Was she going to bring in some werewolf like a sick show-and-tell or give us a lecture on the supernatural? It could have been anything and the ambiguity of it all scared me shitless.

"How's the baby?" Allison asked out of the blue. I felt my throat constrict. I didn't see it as my baby anymore. Maybe I never did. Derek and I never wanted it. It shouldn't have been possible to conceive anyway. Peter wanted it and now it was his. It was as simple as that.

"Fine," I answered shortly.

"You still haven't told me who the father is." She reminded me. She had relented on the baby talk since my mother died. It was her gift to me in exchange for losing a parent. How sweet of her.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." I snorted humorlessly. Allison didn't know what to make of that.

"Is it Scott's?"

"Yes, Allison," I rolled my eyes, "I slept with Scott a few weeks ago. We just have this undying connection. Every time I see him with you, I die a little inside—"

Allison laughed, rolling her brown eyes as well. "You said I wouldn't believe you. If it had been Scott's, I wouldn't have believed you!"

"Name one person in town you would believe I'd slept with." I challenged.

Allison took it into serious consideration. "Jackson."

"That's just repulsive." I muttered. Then again, I knew Jackson a hell of a lot more than I knew Derek. I saw him more often, too. And he was taking Allison and I to formal. Maybe I should have seen that one coming. "Besides, he has a girlfriend."

"Had." Allison reminded me of Lydia's and Jackson's sudden break.

"Right," I nodded.

"So, this guy doesn't have a boyfriend." Allison said, "That's the first clue you've given me. Ever."

"We're not playing Twenty Questions: who's-your-baby-daddy-style." I groaned, crossing my arms around my swollen stomach.

"Just give me a name, Cassie." Allison pried, pulling into Beacon Hills Reserve parking lot.

Why did Kate want us to meet here?

"That would ruin the air of surprise." I muttered distractedly, getting out of the car.

_"Cassie,"_ Allison groaned, getting ready to start in again when Kate suddenly appeared.

We both stopped in our tracks, staring at our mysterious aunt. The anxious look on Allison's face revealed that she wasn't as collected as I first thought.

"Let's go, girls." Kate smiled reassuringly. And without another word, Allison and I followed Kate into the forest.


	23. The Second Beta

Allison and I followed dutifully behind Kate. The only thing I could hear was our heavy breathing and footfalls' snapping leaves and twigs. My heart was thumping erratically in my chest, dying to know what Kate was going to show us—but, at the same time, petrified.

We trudged through the forest in silence for a few moments before we reached something at the base of a large tree. It was some sort of hidden cellar.

Kate pulled it open with both her hands and a slight groan. The doors fell apart with _clang_ and Kate motioned for us to head down there.

Allison went first. I climbed down next. The ladder was a bit grimy and the underground was dank. It smelled like mildew and burnt flesh. I didn't want to know why it smelt like the latter but I had a horrible idea I was about to find out.

Kate jumped down, her boots smacked on the wet floor noisily. Obviously we weren't sneaky around or else she would have been a bit stealthier.

"This way," Kate nodded, leading us down a long and empty hall with stray light bulbs hanging from the ceiling every few yards. The hall echoed deafeningly with every step.

Time seemed to slow down as we neared the heavy metal door at the end of the hall. My breath was coming out raggedly and Allison had resorted to chewing her nails.

"What is this place?" Allison finally spoke up when we stopped right in front of the door.

Kate turned to us. Excitement and seriousness mingled on her expression, "Let's start with the basics. You know how every family has its secrets?"

Allison looked down and back up to Kate, perplexed. I stayed quiet by her side.

A ghost of a smirk rose on Kate's full lips, "Ours are a little different." And with that, she thrust open the metal door. Allison crept in first with me almost falling on top of her, trying to see over her head.

It was too dark to see much until Kate strutted in to turned on a light. Allison and I both took positions in front of the door before curiosity got the better of me and I crept forward as well. Kate glanced back, waiting for us to come closer to get the full effect.

I could practically hear Allison's erratic heart beat. It mirrored my own. Allison caught my eye, frowning and silently demanding what was going on.

Through the darkness, I could see a dark mass hanging from a beam but not much else. There was a small fragment of moon light streaming through a grate on the far side of the dungeon-like room.

Allison wrapped her arms around her body. My hands absentmindedly flew to my stomach again. I had a weird sensation running through me.

Kate slammed on the light and for a moment, I was blinded by the sudden change in atmosphere. A floor-rumbling roar echoed in my ears as I got a better look at what I was seeing: Derek, chained up against some rusty metal bars, his face full wolf.

I had never seen Derek like this before and it was unsettling as much as it was exciting. But then I realized that he was Kate's prisoner and my chest felt like it was collapsing. My eyes widened as Allison gasped a little. Her whole body locked for a moment before loosening up.

We knew we were being watched closely by Kate. This was a test, to see how we'd handle the shock of werewolves existing. However, my shock was seeing Derek as the subject and I hoped it read the same as Allison's bewilderment and disbelief.

Kate's smile was slightly deranged when she said, "Isn't he beautiful?"

Another angry growl ripped from his lips as he struggled against his restraints. Allison was starting to hyperventilate next to me. I grabbed her hand and squeezed it reassuringly, trying not to make eye contact with Derek. I didn't like the way Kate was looking at him. It was lustful and unbefitting the moment.

He kept growling and I couldn't tell if he was just trying to get my attention or shout for help in general. I pursed my lips and lifted my head, making eye contact. His eyes conveyed what couldn't be spoken. He was terrified and guilty but also pleading me not to act like I knew him or do anything that might make Kate suspect us.

I nodded my head down half an inch to let him know understood. I tried to mask my face to match Allison's before Kate noticed the familiarity in my eyes and my lack of surprise.

My eyes darted to Kate and I thought I had been caught for a brief second. She looked back at Derek who went on growling again, acting like he had no idea who I was and all he wanted to do was kill us all.

I started backing up, swallowing hard. "I think I've seen enough."

Obviously, Kate had another idea. She flipped on a switch from a large, beige box next to her and sparks flew across the air. Derek yelped in pain. His body jolted around from the impact of his sudden electrocution from the two patches of wires on his naked stomach.

Now I knew why it smelt like burnt flesh.

My hand flew to my mouth to stifle a scream. Derek's painful cries covered it up. His face morphed between human and werewolf uncontrollably. The lights around the room crackled and popped from the strain of the electricity being forced into the wires covering Derek.

Even though three minutes ago I hadn't cared if Derek got hurt or that I had given up our baby to Peter, I wanted so badly to help him.

"What are you doing to him? Is that gonna kill him?" Allison questioned, blinking uncontrollably.

Kate smirked, "Oh, come on now, kiddo. Don't get all ethical on me now."

I wanted to shout at Kate to turn it off as Derek struggled helplessly in his chains. I couldn't imagine the kind of pain he was in.

Allison stayed cool next to me, trying not to flinch as I remained paralyzed behind her. "What is he?"

That seemed to be the sixty-four thousand dollar question.

"Shape shifter," Kate shrugged casually like Derek wasn't being tortured in front of us. "Lycaon, _werewolf_." Her body shook with inhumane laughter. The electrocution was over. Now Derek was breathing heavily, staring at me with his petrifying blue eyes. "To me, he's just another dumb animal."

She popped on the switch again and I had to look away. I needed to get out of here. Kate could see it in my eyes: the pain, the desire to help Derek. He was a wanted killer in the state after what had happened at the school. As far as anyone but Scott and Stiles knew, I had never met Derek Hale in my life and if I had, I should want to turn him in to the police. Now that Kate was finally revealing to us what he really was, I should want to kill him.

But, I didn't. I only wanted to make it stop. It was all over my face.

"Come here," Derek's body went limp again as Kate stood up, shoving her hands in his trembling mouth, relieving his teeth to the light, "See these right here? These are canines, also known as fangs. Made for the tearing and rending of flesh. Not something you'd find on those cute, leaf-eaters out in the woods."

"This is a joke to you?" Kate was making that pretty clear. Allison didn't need to ask such a dumb question but she was having an entire world thrown into her face. I was glad Scott and Stiles had told me in private and not in front of Kate. I just wished I had found out under different circumstances.

Kate tilted her head, letting her hand fall from Derek's body. She was careful to touch the skin over his abs on the way down, stirring something inside me. "Sweetheart, there are werewolves running around. _Everything's_ a joke to me. How else do you think I stay sane?"

"So," Allison took in a deep breath. I could tell she was seconds away from losing it. I didn't blame her in the least. "It was him at the high school? And all the other animal attacks?"

Kate sneered but walked away from Derek's limp form, easing me somewhat. "There are actually three of them. Another younger one like him," She nodded towards Derek, "called a Beta. And then there's the Alpha."

She placed a hand comfortingly on both our shoulders. "An Alpha is a pack leader: bigger, stronger, faster. Those are the _real_ ugly ones." She explained before turning to face me. My heat picked up once again, terrified I'd been caught. I had been too caught off guard by Derek's sudden capture and torture to put on any sort of charade.

"How are you taking this?" Kate questioned softly, "You haven't said much."

"Just soaking it all in." I said in a thick voice.

"You had been suspecting something for awhile now, haven't you." It wasn't a question.

"Yes," I murmured. I could feel Allison's accusing gaze.

"Well, now you know." Kate winked as we walked back through the metal door. I tried to glimpse back at Derek discreetly. His head lolled a bit before raising, as if he could sense my distress and need to communicate. He blinked at me, signaling me to tell Scott where he was. I blinked back before Kate shut the door and he was gone.

"When were they going to tell us?" Allison sounded surprisingly angry.

Kate stepped back from the handle, leaning against the door, "They still haven't decided _if_ they are."

"Why?" Allison demanded.

"Let's just say if you reacted badly once you found out," Kate clucked her tongue, moving on through the hall, expecting us to follow her, "not good."

"What do you mean, 'not good'?" I interrogated, interested in new information. I knew about werewolves, it was time I learned something about my family.

"They don't think that you can handle it." Kate revealed, "They look at you like some frightened little girls who are going to run crying once they find out the truth."

I resented that. How well could they have possibly taken it once they found out the truth? Or had their parents been straight with them from day one?

"Me," Kate went on as we neared the ladder, "What I see: natural talent. Allison," Kate halted and looked at my cousin; "You said you wanted to feel more powerful, right? Now's your chance. And Cassie," She turned her fiery gaze my way, "Don't you want revenge for what happened to your mother?" Of course I did. How could she even ask that? "That _thing_ in there is what killed her. Maybe not the exact one but they're all the same. Each one you kill brings you closer to that closure, that sweet revenge." Kate smiled madly like she was reminiscing some happy time she tracked down a werewolf and murdered it.

All I could think about what how that _thing_ in there was the father of my child.

"What are we supposed to do now?" Allison begged the question. Now that we knew, what _did_ we do?

"Go to school, do your homework. Go to the formal tomorrow night." She said that last part directly at me. "Be two normal teenage girls who don't know anything. Trust me to get everything ready for the next part."

"What's the next part?" I asked.

Kate's eyes shone in the dim lighting from the lone light bulb above our heads. "You're going to help me catch the second Beta."

My breath hitched in my throat. This was disastrous on so many levels. Eventually, Kate and every other hunter would have found out the identity of the second Beta. That shouldn't have come as such a big shock to me but—honestly—the thought hadn't even crossed my mind.

The most troublesome part wasn't that we were going to help catch the second Beta.

It was the fact that _Scott_ was the second Beta.


	24. Intoxicated

I sat on Allison's bed, watching her put the finishing touches on her makeup. Her glittering silver dress looked lovely with her fair complexion. I smoothed down my black dress feeling plain and fat.

Allison had been nice enough to do my makeup but I sure as hell didn't feel pretty. I had never felt worse about myself before. I was uncomfortable and sick and hadn't been able to tell Scott about Derek because I'd been surrounded by Argents all day.

But, in less than thirty minutes (if everything went according to plan), I would see Scott and Stiles and be able to shake off Allison and Jackson.

The door bell rang and Allison looked over at her open door like it was the front door and Jackson would be standing right there, waiting. She hurriedly brushed some shimmery blush on her cheeks and stood up straight, casually viewing herself in the mirror.

"You look great, Alli." I told her earnestly. She smiled back at me, looking nervous. Other than the fact that she was a little more jumpy than usual, she seemed to be taking the news from Kate impeccably well.

"You too, Cassie." Allison helped me up. She had forced me into a pair of heels and I could already feel my feet swelling. Tonight was not going to be a fun night. I could already predict that much.

We stared at each other for a few minutes, unsure of what else to say. Now that Allison and I were finally on the same page, my mind was a complete blank.

Allison furrowed her thin, dark brows and I knew she was racking her brain to think of something. We hadn't spoken about anything we'd learned. We didn't know how.

I opened my mouth to ask her how she was taking the news but my brain grabbed hold of my vocal cords and spat out something I hadn't been planning on telling Allison at all. "It's Derek." I confessed quietly, "Derek's the father."

Before she could respond, Chris knocked on the door, smiling lightly at us. "Why, don't you two look beautiful."

"Thanks, Uncle Chris." I muttered, marching forward. He gave me a kiss on the forehead and looked at Allison behind me.

"What's wrong, Allison?" He demanded. I peered over my shoulder to see that bewildered look on her face that I had seen last night. She shook her head and muttered, "N-Nothing. We should get going. Jackson's waiting for us."

* * *

><p>The formal was in full swing by the time we arrived in Jackson's tiny Porsche. Allison had to climb into the back seat while I got the front.<p>

When we pulled into the packed parking lot, I spotted a familiar jeep not too far behind us. Jackson parked and pulled something out of his jacket: a metal flask. He sloshed it around before downing some, jerking his head back. His blue eyes paled in comparison to Derek's when he looked over at me, offering me his flask.

I wrinkled my nose. Even if I wasn't pregnant I wouldn't have accepted it. "No thanks." I muttered before getting out of the car as he offered it to Allison.

Stiles parked a few spots over from us. He jumped out of his jeep spastically and ran over to the other side to get out an impatient Lydia. This definitely wasn't the formal she had envisioned weeks ago.

"Stiles!" I whispered harshly,_ "Stiles!"_

Stiles looked around jerkily before his eyes laid on me. He raised his brows, letting me know he had my attention.

"Where's Scott?" I asked, "We need to talk."

"Scott isn't allowed to come." Stiles explained. This was a chance to spend time alone with Allison and dance with her. Scott was going to be here if he had to die ten thousand times to do it.

"Well, we need to talk, still. It's about Derek." My voice carried over the space between us. Stiles' response was interrupted by Jackson and Allison climbing out of the car. Stiles and I looked away from each other abruptly and pretended we hadn't spoken at all.

Wordlessly, we walked up to the jeep where Lydia and Jackson exchanged catty words. Then, we silently marched into the gym together.

I could already tell this was going to be a long night. Allison kept trying to catch my eye and dissect what I had revealed to her but with Jackson in tow there was no private time to do so.

In fact, Jackson hadn't left us alone once an hour into the dance. When Allison had asked him to dance out of courtesy, he had barely looked her way to say no as he scooted closer to me.

Scott had circumnavigated his way into the dance like I'd thought. After a rather comical confrontation with Coach Finstock and Danny, he had met Allison on the dance floor.

I remained glued to my seat with Jackson never leaving my side. It was getting rather annoying but I didn't say anything. I cleared my throat awkwardly when I saw Stiles. I wanted to get up and talk to him and Scott but I couldn't shake Jackson and they were both busy themselves.

Just because I wanted to curl up in a ball and die, didn't mean everyone else did. Jackson and I seemed to be the only ones not enjoying ourselves. The formal looked like fun. And maybe it would have been under different circumstances. Maybe if I hadn't met Derek or lost my mother or knew about werewolves I could be blissfully unaware. I could be hooking up with Jackson tonight without a care in the world. I could be _normal_.

But, I wasn't.

"Do you wanna dance?" Jackson practically shouted over the music.

I wanted to say no but I didn't want to ruin the night more than I already had for him. Allison had left us to be with her real date and Jackson was catching my pity party like some disease.

Jackson stood up, holding out his hand for me and I took it. He led us out to the dance floor as a slow song came on. Jackson's hands clung to my lower back, making me entirely too self-conscious. His body pressed up against mine. He could certainly feel my baby bump but he didn't comment on it.

Reluctantly, I placed my arms around his neck, keeping my eyes on the ground as obnoxious lights blinked dizzily around us.

We rocked back and forth for about thirty seconds before he lifted my chin up and forced me to look into his eyes. I could tell he was stressed about something but was trying to hide it.

"You know," Jackson smiled lightly, "I'm not _that_ bad of a date. You could at least pretend you're having fun tonight."

"You're drunk." I commented on his breath, "I'm not sure you would know if you were a good anything at the moment."

Jackson gave me his infamous smirk, "I'm good at a lot of things."

"It's good to know intoxication doesn't lessen your opinion of yourself." I muttered.

Jackson tilted his chiseled face, scrutinizing me, "You're different, Cass. You're not the same girl I met a few weeks ago. She would have kept her opinions to herself instead of blatantly telling me she didn't want to come to my lacrosse game."

I shrugged, "People change, Captain Jackson."

That struck something in him. Suddenly, Jackson looked distant and distracted. The song ended and he pulled away. "Let me grab us something to drink."

He left me standing in the middle of the dance floor, completely perplexed at Jackson's personality change.

Not wanting to get bumped into people as they danced around like epileptics, I swiftly exited the floor, almost ramming into Stiles in the process.

"Whoa," Stiles grabbed me with both his hands, "Sorry, Cassie!"

I wasn't sorry at all. I was relieved. "Stiles," I breathed, "We need to talk. _Now_."

He glanced at me with a worried expression. "What's wrong?"

"Kate has Derek."

Stiles scrunched up his face in disgust. "What? Kate and Derek? That's weird."

"What?" I shook me head, "No. Kate captured Derek and is torturing him for information on who the second Beta and Alpha are!

Kate and Derek. _Together?_ In any other capacity but captor and prisoner was just preposterous.

But then I remembered the way Kate looked at Derek and rubbed her hands on him.

I shook my head as if to get rid of that disturbing thought. Kate and Derek would never date in a million years. She took her job too seriously. She would never be in the position I was in now.

_"Oh,"_ Stiles' mouth went round, "That makes so much more sense." Then the thought really registered in his mind and his eyes almost popped out of his head. "_Oh!_ Scott is the second Beta!"

"Exactly." I nodded, "Where's Scott?"

Stiles gave the room a quick once over. "I don't see him."

"We need to go find him." I decided.

Stiles agreed, "Right," He was about to take off when he remembered something, "I have to let Lydia know."

"Where is she?" I questioned.

"On a search party for Jackson." He said slightly defeated.

"Why?" I pondered, "Jackson just went to get us drinks."

Stiles furrowed his brows, looking scattered as he searched the room for the red head. "I don't see her anywhere."

I sighed, brushing a hand through my fly aways, "Go find Lydia and I'll talk to Jackson. As long as Scott's in here, he's safe from the hunter. We'll meet back up once you find her."

Stiles nodded and took off quickly. Shortly after, Jackson snagged his place. He held out a red cup for me. I snatched it, thanking him over the music that was starting to make my head pound.

We stood there, swaying lightly to the music, sipping on our drinks. I hadn't realized I was so thirsty until now. I downed the drink in seconds. Quickly, I felt my body sway more and more. My eyes felt heavy.

"Are you okay?" Jackson asked. Something was off in his voice. He didn't sound very surprised by my sudden exhaustion. "Here," I felt him grab my arm and drag me through the crowd, "Let me take you home."

I was too tired to fight back. Jackson basically carried me through the school and back to the parking lot. Halfway to the car, my legs gave out and Jackson picked me up.

"You're a little heavier than I expected." Jackson grunted as he walked.

"Yeah, well," I huffed, my brain getting fuzzy, "I'm pregnant."

He didn't seem surprised by that, either. Something was definitely up but I didn't have the energy to care. Maybe going home would be best. I wasn't having fun and Stiles had everything under control. He would find Scott and tell him and I could sleep.

_Sleep_. The thought was almost orgasmic at the moment.

Jackson lightly pushed me into the passenger seat of his Porsche. Seconds later we took off.

My head lolled against the cold window. My eyes fluttered shut.

"Just close your eyes, Cass." Jackson's voice echoed in my ears, "When you wake up, everything will be okay." It sounded more like he was talking to himself rather than me.

But, I was fading too fast to care about anything but blissful sleep. I felt intoxicated. And within seconds I dosed off.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>_Fair warning: there is only one more chapter left. I'm not sure if I'll put the sequel on here. The ending doesn't really require a sequel. I just wrote one because I wanted to change the story up. We'll see what happens. Thanks to everyone who has commented and favorited and whatnot. When I stop being dumb and self-conscious, I'll finally read them._


	25. History Repeating

When my eyes fluttered open, I could hear a muffled noise shouting something. It was complete nonsense, whatever they were saying. I couldn't understand a word of it in my groggy daze.

The first thing I noticed besides my fuzzy hearing was the fact that I was lying in the supine position in the middle of the forest. A groan escaped my lips as I pushed my heavy body off the ground to a sitting position.

I squinted in the darkness; my eyes still hadn't overcome the deep sleep I had recently awoken from. I rubbed them roughly as that same voice called me. It was closer and clearer.

It was Derek.

I jerked my head to the direction it was coming from to see Scott and Derek trampling towards me.

Scott had rescued Derek? How long had I been out?

It was still night time so I assumed no more than a few hours. My dad must have been worried sick about me.

Why was I sitting alone in the middle of the forest anyway?

The last thing I remembered was drifting off in Jackson's car. Where had Jackson gone to?

The next thing I knew, Scott and Derek skidded on the dirt, spraying some dead leaves into the night as they halted in front of me. They both looked out of breath and distressed. Derek's hand clutched my arm tightly; his blue eyes electrified me with his tender look.

"Cassie," He breathed, "What are you doing out here?"

I glanced around at my surroundings and realized we were right outside of Derek's decrepit house. Being back here was really strange. This was the place Derek and I had sex and started this whole mess.

"Jackson." I muttered. My voice was dry. "He took me home. I fell asleep. I think he drugged me." I rubbed my face tiredly.

"Jackson _drugged_ you?" Scott cried.

"I don't know. What's going on?" I groaned, feeling nauseas. "You're free." I noted to Derek.

"Yeah," He nodded, "Thanks for getting the message to Scott."

"Well it was either that or let Kate torture you to death." I muttered, "This choice seemed more humane."

Despite the ominous situation we were in right not, Derek managed to chuckle at my lame joke.

"Let's get her up." He told Scott. They both grabbed an arm and hoisted me onto my feet.

I wiped down my dress and looked back up at the two boys. My hair felt loose and I was sure there were twigs in it but the way Derek looked at me, I temporarily didn't care. He looked happy to see me and it made me feel pretty for the first time tonight.

Which felt a little ironic since this was probably the worst I'd looked all night.

"So what did I miss?" I questioned, trying to get my mind off the fact that I had a few hours under my belt that I couldn't recall.

"Allison knows." Scott swallowed hard. I turned back to him in alarm. There were a lot of secrets, he was going to have to specify. "About me being a werewolf. She knows. So do all the hunters in town, I'm guessing."

"I was out for a few hours and shit hit the fan." I chortled humorlessly. "What are we supposed to do? It's only a matter of time before they find out I'm pregnant and things will get _really_ out of hand."

"I have an idea." Derek said stoically, his brief moment of weakness over, "We don't tell anyone and get you the hell out of here."

"We can't," I said guiltily, "I already told Allison. About everything."

_"Everything?"_ Derek asked incredulously, fury building up in his body.

"Well, mostly everything. She knows the baby's yours…" I avoided eye contact with him.

"And I think I told Jackson about it too…" I went on, trying to piece my last moments conscious together.

"Oh," Derek laughed cruelly, "This just keeps getting better and better. Why don't you just call Kate up right now and confess everything to her? What the hell were you thinking, Cassie?" He was getting overly worked up about this, pacing across the forest floor to get away from me.

"She deserved to know, Derek! She's my cousin!" I cried after him, "I'm sorry. I made a mistake. God knows we're pros at that, aren't we?"

Derek wheeled around as I clenched my jaw to keep from whimpering from his intense hatred of me at that moment. His anger was displaced. Why was I deserving his wrath at this moment? I had enough to deal with without Derek being an ass.

"Yeah," He agreed coolly, "We are."

I grimaced, hurt by his words but I had set myself up for it.

"Fuck you, Derek." I seethed. He opened his mouth to respond when the familiar _clink_ of an arrow being released from its bow pierced through the night and punctured Derek.

Scott and I glanced over in the direction it came from and saw Kate and Allison rearing for another attack. Allison pulled out another bow, not making eye contact with me.

"Allison?" I called as another arrow went soaring by, hitting Derek in the leg and knocking him down. Allison finally looked at me and her eyes clearly told me to back away.

"Scott, Cassie, your eyes!" Derek shouted from the ground. I understood what he meant and shielded my eyes from the flash but Scott—being an idiot—did not. He went down in a discombobulated heap.

"Allison, stop it!" I demanded but she shook her head in disgust at her boyfriend.

Derek pulled himself off the ground, snagging my wrist and Scott's jacket and pulling us along with him.

"Get away from her!" Allison growled from her position next to Kate. Scott kept blinking profusely, trying to see her.

We didn't get far before Derek collapsed, shoving Scott and I forward only for Scott to take me down with him.

"Go!" Derek commanded desperately at me. It was too late now.

"Allison, please," Scott said disoriented, "I can explain!"

"Just stop—stop lying." Allison frowned, shaking her head in disgust. "And I told you to get away from her." She growled at Derek.

"Allison," I tried, "You don't understand."

"He took advantage of you, he got you pregnant, _he killed your mother_. So, Cassie, _please_," Allison let out a mechanical laugh that didn't suit her, "Please explain to me why you're protecting this monster. Why are you throwing away your life for someone who destroyed yours?" She begged.

Kate looked like someone who had just gotten everything they'd wanted for Christmas. "I guess it's a little bit of history repeating all around there, Derek."

Derek pleaded her to stop talking.

"What do you mean?" I asked shakily.

_"Aw,"_ Kate smirked, coming up behind Derek and running a hand through his hair seductively, "Didn't he tell you about all the fun times we had?"

"Fun times?" I demanded, glancing at Derek, "What does that mean?"

His guilty eyes told me everything.

"You—You slept—" I couldn't even form the thought, it was too heinous. Derek and Kate had slept together. My aunt and Derek were involved romantically.

Now, I was the fool sitting on my ass in dirt in front of the place we'd had sex and gotten pregnant with the woman who had been there first. I felt disgusted. I felt violated. But, most of all, I felt betrayed.

Not by Kate, but by Derek. Why would he have kept something like that from me?

"Cassie," He tried but I wasn't having it.

"Stay away from me." I spat, standing up quickly. The world felt like it was spinning and I couldn't tell if it was because of my anger or the baby.

"Thank _God_." Kate sighed, "Now, Allison, shoot them before I have to shoot myself."

Allison stared at Kate in confusion. "You said we were only going to catch them."

"We did that." She shrugged, "Now, we're going to kill them." Before I could blink, she lifted her gun up and shot Derek.

A strangled scream left my mouth as I stared at Derek's lifeless body.

"See? Not that hard." She said, ignoring me.

I noticed Scott scooting away from my suddenly manic aunt. What was happening? I couldn't comprehend anything. One minute I found out Derek and Kate had a fling and the next Derek's dead. Was he really dead? I didn't know. I didn't really know how to kill a werewolf but I didn't think a single bullet could do the trick.

"Oh, no, no, no, no," Kate sighed knowingly, "I know that look. That's the 'you're-going-it-have-to-do-it-yourself' look." She frowning dramatically, lifting the gun to Scott's head as I looked on in helplessness.

"Kate—Kate," Allison pleaded, "What are you doing?" She tried to grab Kate but got knocked over instead. The malicious smile on her face was unsettling. This woman wasn't my aunt. I didn't know who she was, but she wasn't Kate.

"I love those brown eyes." Kate said mournfully, cocking the gun.

Scott's eyes were so wide I thought they were going to fall out. Under different circumstances, it might even have been funny. Under _very_ different circumstances.

"Kate." A familiar voice called. I glanced behind me and for a split second, didn't know who was standing before me. My father or Chris. But the next person he looked at was Allison so I had my answer.

"We know what you did." This time it was my father. They both held identical guns and expressions.

Kate seemed surprised.

"Put the gun down." Chris demanded calmly.

"I did what I was told to do." Kate answered quietly, ignoring his advice.

"No one asked you to murder innocent people." Chris shook his head.

"There were children in that house," My father's eyes strayed to the ruins of the Hale house, "Ones who were human."

My eyes met Allison's. She was as lost as I was.

"Look what you're doing now!" My father went on, "You're holding a gun at a sixteen year old boy. No proof he spilt human blood."

Chris pursed his lips, "We go by the code."

Kate gave him an exasperated look. What was the code?

_"Nous chassons ceux qui nous chassent."_ My father quoted, a fire alight in his eyes that I hadn't seen in quite some time.

Behind me Allison muttered, "We hunt those who hunt us."

So that was the hunter code. We only hunted the wolves that had killed with proof. So what had Kate done to break the code? All she ever did was hunt werewolves. I couldn't think of a single crime she'd committed.

Then, I remembered six years ago Kate had been exiled from the family. No one spoke to her in six years and she suddenly showed up in Beacon Hills this year.

Six years ago Kate had broken the code. Something else had happened six years ago but I couldn't place it. It was a fuzzy memory, a distant conversation I'd had with someone.

_His family, they all burned to death in a fire, like, ten years ago._

Stiles had been close. It was six. Six years ago Derek Hale's family was massacred. By Kate.

I snapped my eyes opened, feeling my breathing becoming unsteady. Kate had murdered Derek's entire family. How could she do such a thing? She must have had proof but the way the conversation was going, it didn't sound that way.

Chris' and my father's words didn't seem to faze Kate. Her index finger massaged the trigger and she stared unblinkingly at Scott.

Simultaneously, our fathers raised their guns at her. Kate turned her head, glaring.

"Put the gun down." Chris demanded again before shooting off a round a few inches away from Kate's extended arm into the tree behind her. Kate glanced back, flaring her nostrils. "Before I put you down." He went on.

Kate lowered her weapon, shaking her head. Scott let out a sigh of relief but we weren't out of the woods yet.

The faded red door to Derek's house creaked open and we all swiveled our heads and bodies to look at it.

"Allison, Cassie, get back." Chris barked in slight fear. Kate readied herself, aiming for the door and whatever was about to come out. I knew it was the Alpha. I just knew.

I wished my dad was back home, safe. Just anywhere but here.

Scott scrambled off the ground and Allison and I followed his lead, transfixed on the door in anticipation.

"What is it?" Allison whimpered.

"It's the Alpha." Scott confirmed my fears. I bit back a sob, feeling my dad's gaze directly on me. I peered over at him, shaking my head. If we survived this, nothing would be a secret between us anymore. I felt so ashamed for what I had done.

"I'm so sorry." I hiccupped. He tilted his head in confusion before something big and black dashed from the house and took him down. I screamed for him as a claw flung back and latched itself in his throat.

"NO!" I shrieked as blood spattered, scrambling forward. There was nothing I could do now. The Alpha had slashed his throat open. He was dead before I could blink. "_No!_ You promised! You promised if I said yes you would stop!" my vision was blurred by my unstoppable tears.

The creature turned to me, bearing its teeth as if to grin. Its red eyes flashed as he uttered in a deep voice, "You shouldn't have rejected my proposal the first time. I told you, you would be punished."

"No…" I gasped in deep breaths, my shaking palm lifted to my mouth. "No…"

I felt like I was back home, walking through the halls to find my mother's lifeless corpse stained with ruby liquid. Now it was my father's turn to die because of me.

I knelt beside my father's body, pleading up at Peter, "Please, kill me."

He howled at my request. "You're no good to me dead." He stood up to take off into the house when I grabbed onto his arm.

"Kill me!" I begged.

He swung his arm back to shake me off but there was too much power behind it and he nailed me in the stomach, flying me back a few feet.

A painful sensation ran through me, starting at my abdomen. It felt like I was being stabbed by thousands of tiny pins. I clutched my stomach, groaning in agony.

Two bright lights blinded my vision momentarily. I squinted, biting my lips so hard to keep from screaming that I could taste blood.

I recognized that car. I had been in that car only a few hours prior. It was Jackson's.

Jackson and Stiles flew out of the car, throwing bottles and lighting a fire. I was too disoriented and twitchy to comprehend what was happening. I tried to crawl my body towards the others.

"Cassie!" Someone shouted. A few moments later, that same person was skidding across the ground, landing in front of my curled up form.

I coughed and blood spilt out.

"Cassie," It was Stiles. He rubbed my head, "Oh, God. You're bleeding. Are you okay?"

I tried to sit up and answer but it hurt so much that my body started convulsing. Eventually, I gagged up some vomit and blood.

"Help!" Stiles cried, "I need some help over here!" He felt my stomach and I yelped. "What happened, Cassie? I need to know."

"Alpha," I choked, "I think I wet my pants."

Stiles made a strange face before glancing down at my legs and taking a sharp intake of breath. "Jackson!" He yelled and a few moments later, Jackson appeared.

"Where have you been?" I wondered aloud, feeling lightheaded.

"She's bleeding," Stiles panicked, "I think it's the baby. Help me get her to your car. We need to take her to the vet."

Jackson looked bewildered but obliged.

There was so much going on that no one really noticed Jackson and Stiles carrying my limp form and placing me in the back of the Porsche. I saw fire dancing around but I think I might have imagined it.

Jackson sped out of there, grumbling to himself. "She's going to get blood all over my seats."

"Cassie could be dying!" Stiles exclaimed, "You're the one who dumped her there so who _cares_ about your damn seats!"

In the vast amount of pain I was in, it felt like ages before we arrived at Dr. Deaton's. Stiles quickly pulled back the seat and picked me up with some difficulty. I whimpered, trying my best not to scream anymore.

Stiles rushed me threw the doors and the faint_ ting_ was heard.

"I'm sorry but we're—" Dr. Deaton's voice stopped, "Oh, God. Bring her to the back."

Stiles shuffled back there and laid me on the metal platform once again. I immediately curled into a little ball, trying to hold myself together to better stop the immense pain.

It didn't work.

I screamed so loud that Jackson and Stiles had to cover their ears. I rambled on about nonsense as Dr. Deaton examined the damage. I was pretty sure the last thing I'd said to Peter ("_Kill me_!") had burst from my mouth again.

I wished I was dead. The pain was so unbearable that I wanted Peter to come in here and slash my throat like he had my father's.

I was unaware of anything Dr. Deaton was doing until he uttered the words, "I think I can save it."

My breath hitched in my throat as he shook my shoulder lightly.

"Cassie, if you want me to, I think I can save it." He said softly through my sobs. "Let me know and I can save it."

I gasped for sweet air thinking about the choices in front of me. Either I terminated the pregnancy or Dr. Deaton could save it.

Earlier, my first instinct would have been to save it.

With what I knew now, I wasn't so sure.

An ethical battle raged in my mind but reality was breaking through it.

Derek and I didn't love each other. We hooked up one night in a moment of weakness and were dealing with the consequences. This baby shouldn't have happened in the first place. If I got rid of it now, it would save everyone a whole lot of pain. There would no longer be a baby to give to Peter. There would no longer be a string attaching me to Derek (if he was even still alive). We only had brief moments of tenderness at best, nothing to build a sustainable relationship that could withstand the test of time and a family of hunters.

Allison's cruel words rang in my mind, _"Why are you throwing away your life for someone who destroyed yours?"_

Maybe it wasn't fair to classify Derek as a destroyer of worlds but at that moment, in the intense agony I was in, I didn't give a fuck.

I was sixteen years old. I was too young to have a baby in the most normal of situations. But, my situation was far from normal and there was no outcome where this baby would have a normal life. It would be hunted and hated, and eventually, killed like my parents.

The choice was mine and it was easy.

"Cassie," Dr. Deaton urged me, "I need your answer or we're going to lose the baby."

"No," I gurgled, gasping for air, dying for the pain to end, "Don't."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>_The end._

_Maybe it's because I'm feeling in better spirits but I think I might post the sequel. Maybe. Keep checking back. It probably won't be updated as often as I used to. I'm going into my senior year and I've got a lot on my plate at the moment. _

_Thanks to everyone who stuck by me until the end. I'm sorry about my hiatus but I needed it. Thanks for reading and shit. I really do appreciate all of you for making this story so popular. It means a lot even though it was kind of tainted by hateful people. I hope one day to be able to come back on here and not be terrified that someone is sending me PM's to tear me apart or leaving mean reviews. But, thanks to all my faithful readers. You mean the world to me. Seriously._

_Goodbye for now. _

_- RealTalkProject_


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